The Girl Who Would Disappear
by cloud9cas
Summary: Emilia Pendragon is a pure blood witch living with her widower father. The day she has been waiting for her whole 11 years has finally come! "Dear Miss Pendragon, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..." She will finally learn to control her abnormally strong powers and perhaps even make some friends!
1. Admittance Letter and Diagon Alley

_Dear Miss Pendragon,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_

Emilia's eyes went round as she read the opening line of the letter she had been waiting all her 11 years to receive. She looked up at her father practically glowing with excitement. She started to bob from one side to the other almost unable to contain her joy and her father, Lewis Pendragon, let out a deep rumble of appreciative laughter.

"It seems it's about time for us to make a visit to Diagon Alley, Emi," Lewis said chucking her softly on the chin.

"Oh Papa, may we go now?" Emilia inquired; the lamp beside her began to levitate. Lewis pushed the lamp back down smiling warmly at his abnormal-even-by-wizarding-standards daughter. He shook his head however and told her they would wait for the weekend. Emilia deflated a little but upon looking back down at the letter in hand, her smile brightened once more before she flung her arms around Lewis' neck giving him a quick peck on the cheek then running into her bedroom, Lewis' laughter echoing after her.

Taking the first page of the letter, the acceptance part, she quickly put it in the frame her mother had left for her for just this occasion. Pressing the brads down on the back to hold it in place, Emilia turned the frame back to her and stroked the curly cued edges of iron lovingly.

"See, Mum, isn't it beautiful?" she asked turning her framed letter to the picture she had of her mother, Zandria which was always smiling up at Emilia, waving now and again and mouthing the words 'I love you'. Zandria looked very proud at the moment looking properly critical of the letter before nodding to her child.

Emilia grinned and hung it on the hook the frame had been waiting on and she sat on her bed her knees tucked under her. "Soon, I'll be just like you when you were my age, Mum. Taking classes at Hogwarts and learning all that needs to be learned about our world and magic," she said with a sigh before turning to look at her mother's portrait. Zandria had returned to smiling and Emilia simply nodded. "I can't wait for the weekend," she said to herself.

Although the weekend came quickly, Emilia had wished it to come even more quickly than it had. Lewis held out the jar of Floo Powder to her and she took a good handful before stepping into the fireplace. Glancing back at her father, she grinned and shouted "Diagon Alley!" throwing the powder down and being engulfed in the familiar green flames.

Stepping quickly out of the fireplace she appeared in, Emilia dusted the soot off her jeans and coat. She looked around the alley and bit her lip in anticipation wondering where her father would take her first. A whooshing sound was made behind her and she looked back to see Lewis dusting himself off and looking at her expectantly. "Where should we go first?" he asked. Her excitement showed more readily when he gave her the option.

"Can we go get my wand?" she asked trying to curb her excitement a little seeing as other kids her age obviously here for their first year shopping weren't bouncing nearly as much.

"To Olivander's we go then," Lewis said turning her around by the shoulders and guiding her to walk in front of him. She knew where the wand shop owned by Mr. Olivander was. She had always looked at it most longingly when she'd come on trips with her parents earlier on and even when it was just her and Lewis.

She was thankful to see that there weren't any other customers gathered around as a young boy came out holding the box she knew his wand lay in. He had light brown hair and tired looking features but he looked very kind. He looked startled when he found her looking at him almost expectantly. "Are you for Hogwarts too?" she asked, eyes brimming. He smiled kindly and nodded.

"Well introduce yourself, sweetie," a lady said to him nudging his shoulder slightly. Emilia looked up into her kind face knowing this was his mother but she tilted her head slightly in astonishment.

"You're not a witch," Emilia said bluntly but not unkindly so the woman smiled and nodded. Lewis had finally caught up with his daughter and flicked her ear lightly. "Ah!" she exclaimed holding her ear and looking up at him. "I was just making an observation," she said using the word her father had taught her the meaning of just the day before.

"It's rude upon your first meeting, Emilia, so apologize," Lewis said gesturing to the lady who had been joined by a man who looked very much like the boy.

"I'm sorry," she said, her bubble of happiness deflating.

"It's alright dear; it's expected of you to be able to tell. I can see that you must be a very skilled young witch already," the lady said causing Emilia's heart to warm to the woman immediately. She grinned as the woman smiled.

"My name's Emilia Pendragon and this is my father Lewis Pendragon," she introduced wishing for this woman's praise and approval.

The lady introduced herself and her husband but nudged her son to introduce himself. "And my name is Remus Lupin," he said quietly, almost shy.

"Well, Remus, I guess I'll be seeing you in about a week! Maybe we'll even be in the same class," Emilia said, bobbing up and down as she was prone to do in her excitement. Remus looked surprised at her enthusiasm but it was soon replaced by a smile and a nod. After the Lupins' said their farewells, Emilia scurried into Olivander's with her father close behind.

"Mr. Ollivander?" Emilia called out when she didn't see the store's manager.

"Yes, yes," a voice answered from deep within the aisles of wand boxes and sheaves of paper, "I saw you just outside the shop, Miss Pendragon, and have been looking for a wand for the past 10 minutes or so." The voice was rather raspy and she assumed it was probably from all the dust that collected along the shelves.

"Papa, he knows who I am," she whispered excitedly looking up at Lewis. He just smiled knowingly before his gaze went to the rows of wands. Emilia looked as well and saw Mr. Ollivander walking down the middle aisle with one box in his hand. She looked at it curiously remembering her father tell her that he once had to go through twenty different wands to find the one suited to him but here Mr. Ollivander set only one box onto a chair and opened it carefully extracting the most beautifully piece of wood she'd ever seen.

He proffered it to her and she took it with trembling fingers. It warmed to her touch and she held it more securely in her hand admiring the intricate pattern of vine and rose twined about the handle and just a little onto the long thin stem of the wand.

"Rose wood, flexible, 11 ¼", with mermaid hair at the core. It is said to be very good at harnessing the magic that flows more wildly through the veins of some witches and wizards. Why don't you give it a little wave?" Mr. Ollivander asked looking at her penetratingly, curiously even. Could he naturally feel the power Emilia had always had trouble holding in? She waved it carefully, frost coming from the tip to snow lightly on the ground at her feet. She gasped softly at it knowing she'd keep this moment in her heart forever. Mr. Ollivander nodded pleased before holding the box up for Emilia to put the wand away. "We wouldn't want it breaking before you even get to Hogwarts, now do we, Miss Pendragon?" he asked when she showed her disappointment at having to shut it away. He took her chin in his hand and looked into her face. "You have quite the magic, Miss Pendragon, and I daresay you will be worth a lot more than you can imagine… in the end," he said gently but ominously. She nodded and, the moment having passed, he asked Lewis for payment.

He escorted them to the door and as they walked down the street toward the rest of her new belongings, Emilia glanced back to see him watching, giving her a nod that seemed almost reverent before waving a short goodbye and returning into his shop.

Before her mind stopped racing, Lewis had purchased all of Emilia's things aside from her robes. Gesturing for her to enter the shop, she did so, carrying her new owl in with them in his gilded cage. "Have you decided what to name him yet?" Lewis asked looking down at his daughter as they waited for one of the seamstresses to be free for her opportunity. Emilia pursed her lips looking at the tawny colored barn owl with his white face. She'd felt an immediate attraction to the bird upon walking into the store and would not be convinced to take the snowy owl or even the ginger cat.

She noted that he was rather small for a full grown owl, even for one of the barn variety. She stroked his feathers through the cage and he gave her a rather affectionate nip on her finger. "How about Pip?" she asked the owl more than her father. If she'd been watching she would have seen Lewis' look of incredulity. However she was looking at the owl. It had frozen when she'd said Pip and so she did so again. "Pip?" He looked directly at her and she beamed.

"It's decided! His name is Pip! I thought it would be mean to call him Pipsqueak but it fits so well," she said looking up at her father who was visibly trying to contain his laughter. She huffed slightly turning her attention back to Pip. "Don't mind him, he's just jealous," she said quietly and the owl hooted softly.

"We can outfit you now, miss," interrupted one of the seamstresses and Emilia stood up quickly shrugging out of her peacoat. "Ah, yes. Now, which school? And what year?" the lady asked kindly as she stood Emilia up on a stool in front of a long mirror.

"Hogwarts, first year. So I don't know my class yet," Emilia said proudly as the lady draped some black material over her- an oversized robe that she was now hemming and correcting the sleeve length on. The lady made small talk with her which was fine by Emilia seeing as her words let out her excited energy so she could stand still when the seamstress needed her to.

"You're for Hogwarts too?" asked a girl on the stool next to Emilia. Emilia looked over and felt an instant warmth in her heart. The girl who had spoken to her had flaming red hair and jade green eyes. She was exotic to Emilia's mind as she was reminded of her own dull blonde hair and brown eyes. Shyness got the better of her suddenly and she could only nod.

The girl beamed at her, green eyes bright. "My name is Lily, Lily Evans, and yours?"

"Emilia Pendragon," she managed to answer.

"It's nice to meet you, Emilia. Oh! And this is my friend Severus Snape," Lily said gesturing with her head as her arms were being pinned. Emilia tilted her head slightly to catch a glimpse of a rather pale looking boy with silky but rather unkempt black hair. The contrast between the two friends was so astonishing that it Emilia a few moments before she could greet him as well. He hummed slightly but didn't say a word. Rather imposing with his aquiline features. "Don't mind him, he always gets tired this time of day and hardly even speaks to me," Lily said lightly. "I wished we could have gone a year earlier but of course there are rules one must follow, even in the wizardring world," Lily continued. Then the questions came all very light and easy to answer and with Lily's calming manner Emilia was able to respond.

"You got an owl as well? We can send letters to one another before term even starts!" Lily said warmly. "I'll give you my address if you'd like!"

"Er yes I'd like that very much, Lily," Emilia said happily.

True to her word, Lily wrote her address down on a spare piece of paper while waiting for Emilia's hemming to be done. However, because Lily had to go before it was finished she wrote under the address, "_I can't wait to hear from you!_" even with a little heart at the end.

"Seems to me as though you've made another friend and you haven't even set foot on grounds!" Lewis laughed and Emilia blushed a little holding the piece of paper close to her heart, the faces of Lily, Severus and Remus scattered about in her head.

"Just one more week," she reminded herself as they gathered all of their purchases and went back home.


	2. An Exchange of Letters

Chapter 2

Emilia stroked the tip of her nose with the feather of her new quill. Lily was expecting her to write but she hadn't the foggiest what she was meant to write. She had never written a letter before and was getting anxious before even touching quill to parchment. She leaned back in her chair with a sigh letting her gaze drift around her room for a spark of inspiration. Her eyes caught onto the calendar with her countdown to Hogwarts written in red. Her heart started thumping once more with excitement as she dipped her quill in the ink pot.

_Dear Lily,_

_ I still cannot believe that only five more days remain until I see you and Hogwarts. I wonder what House we will be sorted into (for we must be in the same House). Mum was a Hufflepuff while Papa was a Ravenclaw. Papa always says I am more like Mum but I do not particularly like the sound of Hufflepuff. Perhaps it is because I am not patient in the least. Besides, there is no romance in a name like that! At least to get into Ravenclaw you have to be considered clever and would not that be just grand? Furthermore, their colors are blue and bronze and would flatter me much more than looking like a bumblebee in flight all the time._

_What House(s) did your parents get sorted into?_

Emilia paused after writing the last question. She had no idea if Lily's parents were witch and wizard or Muggles or… After having met Remus Lupin whose mother was a Muggle she couldn't be sure if Lily's parents were pure blood as her father was (her own mother being of the Veela). She scratched the back of her head for a moment before continuing her letter.

_Or rather did they go to Hogwarts? I cannot remember if I asked you while we were in Madam Malkin's… Anyway, regardless, I suppose we will soon know where we will be living for the next seven years! _

_Devotedly Yours,_

_Emilia Pendragon_

Devotedly? She couldn't be sure but it sounded proper. She had written her last name but was not sure if Lily would need that detail. 'Of course she does!' Emilia reasoned in her head. 'How else is she supposed to write me back?'

She nodded in satisfaction, folding the parchment up and sealing it before writing Lily's address on the front. Standing, Emilia looked at Pip rather dubiously. "You won't lose your way, will you, Pip? I'm quite sure Lily will have some little snack awaiting you at the other end," she said letting the barn owl light onto her arm. She fed the middle of the letter into his beak as she walked him over to her open window. "I trust this to you, Pip," she said giving his head a small kiss before launching him out the window. The small owl easily caught wind and began to fly away.

Leaning against the windowsill she watched the bird disappear into the distance glad she'd sent him off in the morning rather than at night to be sure he wouldn't lose his way in the dark. 'Not that he would. He's an owl for mercy's sake,' she reminded herself dryly. But regardless…

A full day passed before Pip made it back with a bit of parchment in his beak. Emilia cheered with delight, taking the letter from him after she made sure he had enough food and water, crooning to him about how good an owl he was. He seemed very proud of himself as he fluffed his feathers before clearly dismissing her so he could tuck in.

She laughed softly at his personality before walking into the living room opening the letter carefully and letting it unravel. It was three times as long as the one she had sent to Lily.

"Did she write you back?" Lewis asked from the kitchen as he finished putting away some dishes having gotten the evening off early.

"Yes, she did. And it's a novel, Papa!" Emilia exclaimed showing him the neat and smooth handwriting of her friend which caused a bit of embarrassment when Emilia remembered and compared it to her own cramped writing style.

"How much did you write to her?" he asked drying his hands off on a dark blue towel before hanging to back on the oven handle. He laughed when she admitted to only two or three paragraphs. "Perhaps it's just one of her strengths, writing," he said, "Don't be discouraged. I'm sure she is used to writing letters where you haven't ever had a reason to." He chucked her chin softly and she gave him a wane smile. "Hey, how about after you read that letter we go out for a bite tonight. Sound good?" he asked flashing his award winning smile again.

She nodded, he laughed, and she flopped onto the ottoman to read the letter. She loved the way it opened, "Dearest Emilia, I have so much to tell you about in just the last few days!" She ate it up but was shocked at the post-script (after feeling very light when Lily had also signed it "devotedly").

_P.S. Neither of my parents is of the wizarding world and I even have an older sister. Her name is Petunia. But no, it is just me so I have no idea which House I will be put into. Severus is hoping for Slytherin but I am not so sure that is the place for me. See you in a few days!_

She hummed softly as she thought about being the only magical being in a family. She tried to imagine it but quickly gave up because of the things that happened because of her own powers. But Slytherin House? Why would Severus want to be called to such a place?

"Papa, did you know anyone who got into Slytherin House?" Emilia asked getting up from the couch and folding the letter up thoughtfully.

"Not much good comes from Slytherin. There was a boy in there while I was going who was very charismatic though, drew a lot of people to him but then most of them were Slytherin folk and absolutely none of the Gryffindors would have anything to do with him," Lewis said thoughtfully. "But we can worry about that after you get sorted, how about?"

Emilia nodded slowly before smiling at her father and returning the letter to her room, slipping her shoes on and joining him as they walked out to go to a restaurant.

The day dawned bright and early and Emilia greeted it with even brighter eyes. With Lewis' help she checked to make sure she had everything she needed. Lewis had laughed to cover up his softhearted tears when she had woken him up wearing her school uniform even down to the robes and hat. Assuring her there would be a time to change on the Hogwarts Express, he urged her to change into some Muggle-appropriate clothing. They lifted her heavy trunk into the back of Lewis' Mazda, loaded Pip and his cage into the back seat and drove to Kings Cross Station without hitting too much traffic.  
After securing a cart and loading her belongings on it Lewis insisted he push the load for her so she could find Platform 9 ¾. Standing in between 9 and 10 she looked back at him with a confused and her expression was too distressed to laugh at. "It's okay! It's right here, sweetheart," he said pointing at one of the walls between the two platforms. She looked up at him just confused and he smiled telling her to get on the cart between him and the handle. She did so but whispered her embarrassment to him. He just grinned.

"Now look both ways to make sure the Muggles aren't looking," she did so, "are there any looking?"

"No, but why does it matter?"

"You'll understand here in a few seconds," he said as he pushed the cart into motion and she almost screamed as she rode straight at the wall but suddenly they were swallowed up and a grand train lay in front of their path. She exclaimed in surprise and glee as Lewis pushed the cart farther out of the way to allow more entrants to the platform.

Lewis moved so she could jump down and Emilia tilted her head back in awe of how big the train was. She had never had the opportunity to go on a train and the prospect was exciting and rather intimidating to an eleven-year-old. Lewis put a hand on his daughter's shoulder turning her to face him.

"Alright then, I gave them your belongings. You won't have to worry about them until you get to the dormitories. The servants will take them to your room for you. Do you have your uniform with you?" She nodded bumping the bag on her hip that contained the uniform among other small things since she would be on the train for a time yet. "Okay. Come on, give your man a hug," he said with a smile before she launched herself into his warm embrace. It would be quite a few months before she would get this opportunity again and suddenly she felt a little homesick. Emilia gave him a quick peck on the cheek before he let her go and looked at her close.

"My little girl is all grown up," he said smoothing her hair. "And looking more like your mother every day."

"I'll still be your little girl for a while yet, Papa," she reminded him staying strong for his sake since he had offered three or four times on the way to the station to just keep her home with him and teach her magic himself.

"So you will," Lewis said kissing her swiftly on the forehead before taking a step back. "Now, on you go before they leave you behind." Her face fell for just a moment before she flashed her brightest smile up at him.

"I'll write to you, Papa!" she said warmly before turning to get on the train.

"Emilia!" called a voice that she would always be able to recognize from then on. Emilia whipped around scouring the crowd for the auburn hair of Lily. Suddenly she was crashed into and almost lost her balance before managing to wrap her arms around her green eyed friend.

"Lily! I thought I might not see you until we got there," she said holding her friend at arms length.

"Must be Providence as my mum always says," Lily laughed looking back behind her. It looked as though Lewis had already introduced himself seeing the resemblance of Lily to her mother and they were chatting amicably. Emilia also saw Severus looking much like his rather sullen self.

"Hello, Severus," Emilia said kindly knowing it was important to be friends with Lily's friends. He looked away almost as though he were embarrassed to have attention called to him.

"Have you finished saying goodbye to your father?" Lily asked. Emilia nodded as Mrs. Evans called her daughter back to her. Lily gestured that she'd be back in a moment as Lewis drew near once more and bent over his hands on his knees looking into Emilia's face.

"I feel better already knowing you have friends riding with you. And I almost forgot to tell you to stay out of mischief!" he said holding up a finger of warning before touching her nose lightly. "That's what your mother would have wanted me to say. Now go have fun," he said with a wink before standing up straight once more leaving Emilia smiling. Her father certainly knew her mischievous ways. She pretended to be serious giving an okay signal.

"I'll do my best," she said before giggling as Lily joined her.

"Let's go, Emilia!" she exclaimed pulling on her and Severus' arms.

"Bye Papa!" Emilia shouted blowing him a kiss as Lily's mother joined him in waving goodbye to their children.


	3. The Sorting

_So this is my third chapter on this particular story that you managed to have stumbled upon. I'm so glad you have been curious enough to make it thus far. I hope I am not moving the story too slowly but I feel it is not too quickly. I am doing my absolute best to provide something that is worth reading and that does not clash too much with the histories written up by Ms. Rowling. _

_I would ask that you write me if there is anything I can improve upon! As for romantic intrigue (in case you were wondering) these characters are only 11 years of age and thus I will be writing what I think to be appropriate for their age- meaning crushes aplenty but no dating as of yet. I hope you will enjoy my work!  
_

_Casidhe Byrn  
_

_P.S. I will try to remember to put the titles of the chapter at the top with the chapter number from now on. I am excited to hear from you!_

Chapter 3: _The Sorting_

When the three of them were comfortably sequestered in one of the empty compartments, Emilia sighed sinking into the seat and looking out the window to see her father standing there beside Mrs. Evans handing her a handkerchief as he valiantly fought back his own tears.

"Lily, look!" Emilia called her friend's attention to their parents and Lily gave a sigh as she shook her head waving at her mother

"Petunia will be attending a school close to home so this is Mum's first separation. I told her it was no use crying and suggested perhaps Dad could have brought me but she insisted that he needed to go to work and she would be the one to bid the last farewell," she recalled smiling softly.

The train whistle blew and the ka-chunk of the train's wheels sounded as they began to pump. Emilia flattened her hands on the glass pressing the tip of her nose to it as well. Lewis waved as the train began to really pull away from the station, his daughter mouthing the words "I love you, Papa" and if she had been closer she would have seen the single tear slip down his cheek as he said it back.

Mrs. Evans however was nigh on hysteric and Lily gave a long-suffering sigh as she blew a kiss to her mother. Severus had already sat back in his seat, getting comfortable for the long ride ahead of them.

Once Lily felt that Emilia had sufficiently divulged all she had done over the last few days she looked rather satisfied. She excused herself saying she needed to use the restroom and thus left Emilia alone with Severus in the small compartment.

The boy looked sullen as usual, his arms crossed as he stared at the upholstery of the seat across from him where Lily had just been sitting. Emilia pursed her lips looking out the window as the scenery continued to fly past. She appreciated the green wildness of it all compared to the rather suburban places she was used to seeing and even more so when compared to London.

The silence to Emilia seemed to grow thicker although there wasn't a lot of noise and commotion in her own home. She simply thought there should be more excitement than the tolerant atmosphere that she seemed to get when with Severus.

"Severus, so I guess you came with Lily then?" she asked thinking how lame the question must sound when she had obviously not seen his own parents there. Which lead her to the question of what kind of magic blood Severus had for she had met Remus the half-blood and Lily the Muggle-born was her best friend. He just nodded not even looking at her. Her fake smile fell and she looked back out the window. Remembering what Lily had written she perked up once more and turned to him.

"Lily tells me you want to be sorted into Slytherin! Why is that?" she asked eagerly, this not being a yes or no question.

He sighed before looking at her with his dark eyes. She hadn't realized how dark they were until just that moment and she recoiled slightly as if he'd thrown something at her. His lip curved slightly in the corner, somehow pleased by her reaction. "I guess I like snakes. The mascot you know. And of course it is said that 'Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness'," he said concisely. It seemed there was something more he wanted to say, perhaps about the greatness he wanted to achieve but Lily came back and the air stopped choking Emilia.

"Lily!" Emilia exclaimed before noticing the look on her friend's face. She looked outright annoyed. "What's wrong?" she asked trying not to smile. She loved discovering the new faces her friend made. They seemed so different from her own and much more beautiful… even in her irritation.

"Some idiot boy down the way…" she muttered not going into any further detail as she sank into the seat beside Emilia who didn't miss the look on Severus' face when Lily mentioned a boy.

"Well, no matter, he'll probably be sorted into Hufflepuff and you'll never have to associate with him again," Emilia said cheerfully as a witch pushing a small trolley opened the door to their compartment.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" she asked kindly.

"Oh! Do you have some Chocolate Frogs on there?" Emilia asked excitedly being an avid collector of the cards one found inside. Lily looked at her surprised but Emilia didn't notice and smiled at Severus.

"Snakes like to eat frogs, too, Sev, so you might want to get used to it," she grinned teasing him about the reason he liked Slytherin. He glowered at her before explaining to Lily about the various wizard candies and their special… qualities. They soon had their Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and various other types. The girls were soon laughing, Severus giving an occasional and (surprisingly) good-natured smile.

Glancing outside, Emilia was surprised to see it had gotten so dark so quickly. She figured they must be nearing the school when a boy with long platinum blond hair opened the door to the compartment, a small badge flashing on his chest. He was wearing long robes and his tie was silver and green. Even without this small detail along with the coat of arms on his other breast, he simply had the air of a Slytherin.

Emilia tried to check her expression from being hostile but his cool grey eyes flickered to her face momentarily, tracing her features, before looking rather bored. "I am Lucius Malfoy, Slytherin House Prefect. We are soon to arrive at Hogwarts so I suggest you change into your robes soon. I hope to see you in Slytherin," he said in a sickly charming voice giving the welcome generally but Emilia felt it were especially pointed at her for some reason.

Severus suddenly looked determined as he nodded and Lucius Malfoy nodded back to him, casting Lily a bored glance before leaving them.

Emilia shivered after he left and when Lily questioned her she just said it was the breath of air coming from the outer corridor.

Tugging the skirt into place, Emilia followed Lily who followed Severus onto the platform of the station and looking up gasped at the sight. A wonderful crescent moon sat above the castle that could only be held together by magic. It stood still quite far in the distance and Emilia took note of a vast majority of the students making their way toward a gate where a bunch of horseless carriages stood. She wondered at this before hearing a loud voice over the crowd.

"All firs' years, come this way!" There was a lantern impossibly high above the ground connected to a large hand the size of a trash can lid. Emilia grinned, Lewis having told her of the Hogwarts Ground's Keeper, the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid.

'_Hagrid is also a half-breed like you, Emilia. If ever the students give you a hard time, he'll be the one to turn to,"_ _Lewis said to Emilia before she went to bed. He stroked her hair back from her face, a lonely expression lay there for the loss of his beloved Zandria. The little child held his hand to her cheek and smiled angelically up at him._

"_I love you, Papa! I'll make you proud so you don't need to frown anymore," she promised in her naïve, child-like way. _

"_I know, my dearest, I know," he said before bidding her goodnight with a kiss and leaving the door a crack open for her to hear him scratch away with a quill on parchment humming songs that reminded him of Zandria._

"You'll all be gettin' into these boats, 'ere," Hagrid explained above the excited babble of students. Lily took both Severus' and Emilia's hands and led them to the boat they would ride in. They were followed in by two other students and—"Remus!" Emilia exclaimed waving excitedly when the brown haired boy came into her sight. He smiled the same gentle smile she remembered receiving when they had first been introduced and he slipped into the boat with them. After making the proper introductions, Severus and Lily sat in the front while Emilia sat beside Remus in the middle.

"Oh, I'm all nerves and excitement Remus!" she divulged clinging to his arm in her anxiety as she watched the moon climb higher and the castle closer as the boats made their silent way across the lake. If she had been paying attention, she would have caught young Remus Lupin blushing at her familiar touch but also soaking in the warmth and steadiness of it, being a bundle of nerves himself.

"Did the week go well for you, Emilia?" Remus asked softly and she glanced up at him for even at this age when so many children were the same height he was uncommonly tall.

"I suppose you could say it but I believe it couldn't come fast enough! I've dreamed of coming to Hogwarts all my life!" she exclaimed. Something about Remus gave her the comfort and support she needed to be completely unguarded. She liked that about him and thus smiled warmly and infectiously up at him before looking back at the castle.

He smiled back at her before looking up calmly at the crescent moon before his eyes rested on the destination ahead of them.

Upon reaching the stairs just below the castle, all of the first years tumbled out of the boats and proceeded up the stairs; under Hagrid's direction they were told that they would meet Professor Minerva McGonagall at the top. Holding on to Remus' arm for stability, Emilia craned her neck to take one last glimpse of the groundskeeper wishing desperately to speak with him and get to him as her father had encouraged but as the press of students wouldn't allow her to turn back she decided she would have to postpone the meeting.

True to the word of Hagrid a rather severe looking woman (who in Emilia's reckoning must have been quite handsome in her younger years) looked down on them with sparking green eyes, her hair pulled up tightly under her pointed witch's hat. Feeling as though the woman might disapprove of her clinging to Remus' arm she let her arm slip to her side and clasped her hands together going for a look of one who would be a most acceptable student.

Once all the students had crowded as closely as possible and stopped their incessant moving, Professor McGonagall spoke over their heads easily being heard by all although she wasn't shouting.

"I am glad to see that you have all made it this far. I will lead you in a line, two persons wide mind you, into the Great Hall. From there, I will call you by name to come and be sorted into your Houses," she announced and at this there were many an excited whisper cast about the cavern looking entrance in which they stood. "Please quiet down," she said and Emilia vaguely registered that her accent was that of Scotland. The students quieted down and with a stern nod, the professor turned on her heel and started for two grand doors. Somehow the first years managed to make a line according to her outline and walked into the Great Hall, some timid and some in great excitement.

While many of the students were looking left and right becoming suddenly shy for all the older students watching them pass along with the staff who sat at a long table in front, Emilia looked up to see the enchanted ceiling Lewis had told her so often about. The candles that lent light to the hall were hanging by magic but that wasn't what awed her. The ceiling was a perfect replica of the night sky they had just left behind even down to the crescent moon that had slowly gotten higher as they had been in the boats.

After being satisfied with her look at the ceiling, her brown eyes lowered to see Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts standing at the front in front of his chair but behind the great table. The doors shut behind the first years as Professor Dumbledore began to speak. "I would like to welcome our new first years to the start of a new term. I wish you the utmost luck and that you may be sorted into the House that will help you the most in your next seven years under the direction and teaching of the staff. Professor McGonagall, if you would?" he gestured to her as he sat down in his chair.

Before she did anything involving the students, Professor McGonagall announced that the Sorting Hat would sing a song. It did so astounding the majority of the first years, making a few of the older students laugh good-naturedly. It wasn't a very long song but Emilia took this time to inspect the ceiling once more and saw some clouds rolling in from the west.

After the song ended, Professor McGonagall unrolled a long scroll that Emilia could only suppose had the names of every first year on it. As she read the first name, Emilia noted it would be in alphabetical order and thus, judging from how many first years there were, she would have quite a time to wait. However, before she knew it, Lily was being called up to the Sorting Hat. Emilia finally leaned out of line to watch as McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on Lily's head. She clasped her hands tightly at her waist, waiting nervously to hear the Sorting Hat's decision.

"Gryffindor!" it shouted and Lily hopped down off the stool as she was applauded and welcomed to the table sitting under the banner of scarlet and gold with the rather lifelike depiction of a lion. Lily looked around and caught Emilia's gaze, giving her a thumbs up. The half-Veela nodded with a smile before looking forward again. A few other students were sorted before Remus was called.

"Remus Lupin!" McGonagall called over the applause of a girl who had just be sorted into Ravenclaw. It seemed to take the Sorting Hat a little longer to puzzle Remus' place out but once more, for her friend, it called out, "Gryffindor!"

Emilia tried to keep her courage about her knowing full well that that was the foremost quality of a Gryffindor. However her heart was pounding and the closer the list got to her name the sicker she felt. Remus and Lily both looked at her with encouraging smiles.

"Emilia Pendragon!" McGonagall called and, surprised, Emilia jumped slightly hiding it by taking a step immediately and, with her head held high, she walked up to the stool and sat thereon. The last thing she saw was Lily's anxious face as she held onto Remus' forearm, Remus blushing but looking dutifully at Emilia.

Emilia thought briefly that Remus might have a crush on Lily before the Sorting Hat plopped down over her eyes. 'How very large…' she thought absently when a voice suddenly whispered in her ear and somehow she knew immediately it was the voice of the Hat. It was quiet but she could hear and sense the years within. 'What extraordinary power…' she thought before interpreting what it was saying and finding a shocking discovery.

"Emilia Pendragon. I remember your father and mother. I always thought it odd to have such a strong Veela come to Hogwarts but I put her in Hufflepuff for she was very patient and even more loyal. Your father however was very clever and creative to boot. Why, when I questioned his mind I saw a whole plethora of ideas that would change the wizarding world and the Muggle world. But it would seem that the hasn't produced any of those works yet…

"But now I'm facing a dilemma of where to put you. One should think that I would choose either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff for you given the familial circumstances but then I do remember a Pendragon once being in Slytherin…"

Emilia sat stock still on the stool. How could the Hat be debating on putting her in Slytherin? She didn't belong there! Her friends were in Gryffindor…

"It matters not where your friends are sorted, Miss Pendragon, for they will still be your friends wherever I put you, that much is clear. But I fear Gryffindor would not serve you well in the end…" the Hat murmured and Emilia stared into the dark folds of the Hat in dismay. Her mind was racing trying to think of reasons why she should be in anything but Slytherin when suddenly the Sorting Hat called out.

"Slytherin!"

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_And that is the end of chapter 3. Again, please remember to write! If not criticism, then at least encouragement! I love to write and I feel this will be my best work of fanfiction to date because of my love for the books, history, the characters, and my baby, Emilia. Thank you!_

_C.B.  
_


	4. Of Slytherin Commons and Friends

_Chapter 4: Of Slytherin Commons and "Friends"_

Emilia wished the Hat could have stayed on her head a moment longer because she was sure she wasn't in control of her expression. The Slytherins, however, were cheering loudly and beckoning her to join them. Emilia looked longingly at the Gryffindor table before walking steadily to the table that lay under the silver and green banner, the snake curled tauntingly on the banners façade.

It hurt her heart to see the downcast looks of Lily and Remus as she sat on the side of the Slytherin table that would allow her to at least make eye contact with them when possible. She sat as if she were petrified, her eyes glazed over as they cast her gaze on the table and the perfectly shined tableware. She sensed more than heard the mutterings going on beside her but one voice cut above the rest and it chilled her.

"She is simply overwhelmed. I am more than sure there are a few of you who did not know what to say when you realized you were accepted into the greatest House at Hogwarts," came Lucius Malfoy's silky voice. She blinked, refusing to look at him, as she turned her gaze to the sorting. It sent off a pang in her heart when a boy name James Potter got into Gryffindor. She couldn't completely focus but she thought Lily looked disgruntled when the boy winked at her and set next to a black haired boy who was obviously someone he'd already made fast friends with.

Emilia watched as more students were sorted into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and even Hufflepuff.

"Severus Snape!" called McGonagall.

Emilia's mind cleared slightly as she remembered Severus had wished to be in Slytherin. It took the Hat only a short while to decide and Severus walked over with a quiet smile on his face. To Emilia's horrified relief, he sat beside her the smile faded slightly. "I guess the sides have been chosen," he said softly. Her skin prickled at his simple statement and looking back to the Gryffindor table, she saw Lily's sad face before the red head turned back to the table.

Although there were plenty of delicious foods set out on the table, Emilia couldn't stomach much but a few glasses of pumpkin juice. When the main course disappeared to make way for the dessert she wasn't even fazed. When finally Professor Dumbledore stood to call an ending to the meal, he encouraged them to get a full night's rest in preparation for classes the next day, bidding them a goodnight before leaving the table.

"First years, please follow me," Lucius commanded as they all stood up from their seats and made for the doors of the Great Hall. Keeping up with Sirius wasn't too hard as he was only an inch or two taller than she, but Emilia felt like these were the footsteps of doom as the group turned a corner and started going down into the dungeons. A sudden panic fluttered under her ribs as her body felt the open sky being lost above them. She started to get dizzy as she couldn't breathe properly. Severus caught her as she stumbled down a step and looked at her for once showing some concern but he didn't ask.

"Keep breathing, little bird," he whispered putting a hand on her lower back reminding her to stand straight so as to be able to draw in enough air. Slowly she was able to regain a normal breathing rate a boy in front of them glancing back with mild concern. She held on tightly to Severus' proffered hand and the boy, seeing this stopped looking. They finally stopped at a dead end and Emilia glanced at Severus concerned when Lucius turned to address the first years.

"This is the entrance to our Slytherin House common rooms," Lucius said earning a few skeptical looks from all the first years. "The password will change every week so pay attention," he said turning to the wall and clearing his throat. "Dragon droppings," he said causing a few students to giggle but then gasp as he walked through the supposedly solid wall. A few tentative first years touched the wall, their hands disappearing, and then more confidently stepped through. The rest cheered excitedly and walked quickly through. When a few bumped into the wall, someone said the password and the walking in resumed, Severus pulling Emilia along with him.

The common room had an eerie green glow to it and Lucius was explaining that they were currently under the Hogwarts Lake they had traversed on their way to the castle. Emilia swallowed suppressing a shiver that wanted to crawl its way down her spine. "Girls' dormitories are to the right and the boys' are to the left. You will find all your belongings that you brought on the train there. If you have any questions just ask me or the prefect girl of Slytherin, Narcissa Black," he said before bidding them a goodnight and disappearing through the boy's door. Narcissa Black was tall and fair, keen blue eyes and beautiful aside from the strangely disapproving look she wore. She didn't say anything but disappeared into the girls' dorms.

Severus started to walk toward the boys' dorms but Emilia still held onto his hand. He turned back to look at her exasperatedly.

"You need to go to bed. Or else the night will never come to an end," he said yanking his hand out of hers and walking away. She tried to protest but he ignored her and soon she was the only person left in the common room. She looked over to see a crackling fire in the hearth but it, too, was casting a sickish green glow.

Emilia walked dejectedly into the girls' dorm quickly finding her four-poster bed. All the other girls were already in their pajamas talking excitedly about the day of classes in the morning. On her bed were laid out her robes with the coat of the Slytherins sown onto the breast, a green and silver striped tie, and a green and silver scarf. She scratched at the coat of arms before removing the things that would peg her as a Slytherin for the next seven years onto a small shelf beside her bed.

Rooting out her pajamas she quickly changed and crawled into the small bed, being used to a queen herself. Pulling the curtain closed she could at least imagine that she were in the Gryffindor dorms and she curled up miserably and fell asleep.

When the morning came she was surprised she awoke at all considering it was pitch black within her four walls of curtain. She smiled grimly to herself thanking her father for helping her set an internal clock to wake up at precisely seven every morning. She pulled back her curtains and saw her three roommates had already made their way to breakfast. She grimaced realizing she might have to find her own way to the Great Hall.

She hastily dressed, pulling a face as she tied the green and silver tie around her neck before shoving her arms through the sleeves of her Slytherinized robe. Running a brush through her hair as she walked to the door of the room she tossed the brush toward her bed, her innate magic guiding it to rest comfortably on the pillow. As she walked down the stairs she tied her long sheet of silvery hair with a black ribbon and started when she found Severus looking at her impatiently.

"It's about time, princess," he said sarcastically before turning to leave the commons. She jogged after him stepping through the door that turned into a wall when she looked behind her.

"You waited for me, Severus?" she asked a little awed in spite of his sarcasm. He rolled his eyes to look at her.

"No Malfoy told me to wait for you so you wouldn't get lost," he said dryly. She was hardly about to believe that so she just imagined he had been joking with her and thus perked up considerably as they made their way up to the Great Hall.

She started to prattle on about how she would eat with Lily when Severus looked at her and she lost her words mid-sentence. "You are to eat at your House tables. It's a rule Malfoy told us of this morning if you would have been up a few minutes earlier." His tone left no room for discussion, apparently disgruntled as well about the circumstances and so Emilia bit her tongue.

The Great Hall's ceiling was slightly cloudy. It looked like it would rain to Emilia and she thought no weather could be better for her mood. Upon sitting at the Slytherin table, Emilia looked up to see Lily looking their way. She pointed this out to Severus as Lily waved and Emilia waved boisterously back. Their attentions were caught by the arrival of their class schedules. Covertly comparing hers to Severus', the half-Veela noted that they had the same classes all day.

She could have screamed in delight had she not had control of herself when she saw that the majority of those classes would be shared with their Gryffindor counter parts. Looking up she saw the green-eyed Lily had just discovered the same thing and was smiling brightly at her.

Shoving a piece of toast into her mouth and disregarding Severus' attempt to stop her she rushed over to Lily's side and they compared schedules having the same courses at the proper times to share them.

"This is great!" Emilia exclaimed as Lily hugged her. A few Gryffindors sitting close by gave them curious looks some of which were rather disapproving.

"What's this?" asked a boy sitting on the opposite side of the table. Looking up Emilia saw that it was the Potter boy's friend. She felt his keen grey gaze take in her tie and coat-of-arms and she turned her nose up slightly before turning back to Lily.

"Hey now, I just want to know who this Slytherin is who comes so unabashedly to the Gryffindor table," he prompted again, a strangely fitting elegance to his voice that couple well with his looks. Emilia stiffened when he called her a Slytherin and she looked at him darkly. He looked slightly taken aback before laughing almost arrogantly. "What a poor expression to be on the face of someone with your beauty," he said easily as if it were a sincere compliment.

"Come Sirius, stop teasing Lily's friend. Any friend of Lily's is a friend of ours," the Potter boy, James she recalled, said causing her eyes to snap to him.

"Funny, how my friends are your friends but we aren't friends," Lily snapped looking from James to his friend, Sirius. Emilia looked at her friend startled at her outburst before laughing warmly at it. Lily looked up at her before blushing and Emilia looked at the stunned boys.

"Well, I think that says it all. But in case you weren't clear any person not a friend of Lily's isn't a friend of mine," she said grinning before pulling Lily up with her. It was only then that Emilia noticed Remus had been sitting on the other side of Lily. "Remus!" she greeted warmly.

He smiled up at her a sincere but close mouthed smile. "How did you sleep, Emilia?" he asked gently. She shrugged in response pushing an escapee hair behind her ear.

"As well as one can when one sleeps beneath the fishes," she said rather ruefully.

"I can see that not being ideal," he said sympathetically before returning to his toast and tea.

"I guess we should probably get our books and start heading to class, eh?" Emilia asked Lily who agreed and started to walk out of the Great Hall but as they left the table they heard James and Sirius practically pounce on Remus asking him why the girls were civil to him and not themselves.

The girls had gone their separate ways promising to meet at the bottom of the big stairs to walk together to their Transfiguration class with Professor McGonagall. Emilia only got lost once on her way to the correct wall after having tried the Slytherin password on one particular wall multiple times, running into it each time before the Bloody Baron, the resident ghost of the Slytherin House stopped her to ask what she was doing. All he said was it was the wrong wall and to try again before he floated away, chains clanking all the way.

Unfortunately, classes seemed to crawl by and even slower than a crawl when Emilia was not paired up with the Gryffindors. The teachers were merely giving them overviews of the course materials and criteria and expectations of the coming year.

When she walked out onto the grounds that afternoon with the Slytherins on their way to Herbology, Emilia took the chance to soak in the grounds. There seemed to be so much green and there was a quantifiable amount of trees to sit under on the hotter days. However, due to the weather, most of the Slytherins had donned their matching scarves in a variety of ways. In her mind, Emilia was practically begging the clouds to unleash their torrent seeing as the clouds had gotten increasingly heavier and more ominous looking as the day had passed on.

Entering the green houses, Professor Sprout welcomed them and encouraged them to squeeze in tight. A flash of red and gold and Emilia broke out in a smile easily locating Lily and standing beside her mixing slightly into the Gryffindors as Severus stood on her other side with the Slytherins.

"Hello, Emilia," Remus said warmly as he made his way to stand beside her.

"And hello to you, Remus," she responded looking up at him with a grin before Professor Sprout called their attention so she could give her speech on all things Herbology. Emilia let her head knock into Lily's as though she had fallen asleep and the two girls giggled quietly as some of the class forced a bit of laughter at a joke the squat woman had told. She felt a hand pull on her hair gently and she looked around to see Remus holding her black ribbon out for her.

"It was falling out," he explained as she took it from him with small thanks. For some reason she blushed at his noticing her ribbon slipping but pretended as though it were merely too hot in the greenhouse for her as she unknotted her scarf to give the act of breathing.

Some boys a little behind Lily started whispering among themselves and she looked at them with her peripheral vision while pretending to look at Lily as if to ask her something. She saw that they were from her own House and she tuned in a little more attentively.

"That darn Gryffindor touching her hair so familiarly. Who is he to have the right to do something like that so quickly just because he's standing beside her…"

Covertly, Emilia checked the other side of Remus to see to her vague dismay that Sirius and James and a short mousy haired boy stood beside him. 'Could they be talking about me?' she thought incredulously. She tuned back in to the disgruntled Slytherin boys.

"Do you think she would go out with me? I mean, I know I'm only a first year…" one of the boys said and she stood up a little straighter.

"You dolt," snapped one of the others, "She's a first year too!"

"But I've even heard some of the second and third years talking about her. It's her beauty… it's unreal for a girl our age, isn't it?"

Emilia's mouth went dry as she realized they must be talking of her Veela qualities. She wasn't necessarily ashamed of the fact that she was a half-breed but Lewis had told her that they were often faced with prejudice once found out especially by those of pure-blood houses such as Slytherin. "Are you feeling alright, Emilia?" Lily asked wrapping an arm around her friend's waist. Emilia checked herself and found that she was almost hyper-ventilating before she calmed herself.

"I'm fine," she said after taking a few good breaths. "Sometimes I forget to breathe," she laughed which was true when she was nervous but she meant for Lily to take it as her being absentminded… and Lily did so.

However had she been looking to her other side, Emilia would have seen the concern on Remus' face. Professor Sprout called class to an end as the bell rang and all the students flooded out of the green houses to find that it had started to sprinkle. Some of the girls cried out racing up the slight hill to the castle, some of the boys groaned flipping up the hoods of their cloaks. Those were the Slytherin reactions at least.

Emilia let out a soft peal of laughter. "Oh, the irony! Slytherins are supposed to get along the best out of the four houses with water elements. Shouldn't it be the Gryffindors who are making ninnies of themselves?" Emilia asked no one in particular as the Gryffindors pulled up their hoods and continued a relaxed pace up the hill.

Lily giggled quietly, Severus was silent and Remus… was walking more closely to James, Sirius and the mousy haired boy than with the former group. Emilia could feel her expression turn from joy to hurt in a split second and she didn't understand the reaction. Remus was laughing quietly at something Sirius had said when he happened to look over at her and the laughter faded but he looked at her intently for a moment before she turned her face away.

A hut caught her gaze and she stopped suddenly with an "oh!". Lily stopped to look at her, her hood up while Emilia hadn't bothered with one. "What is it?" she asked curiously.

"I meant to stop by Hagrid's today!" she exclaimed easily changing her course as the rest continued to walk up the hill. "I'll catch up with you later!" she said smiling with a wave. She assured Lily she could go alone when Lily offered to tag along and the Gryffindor told her to not catch cold before turning her gaze back up the hill and talking to Severus who seemed to be the only Slytherin not already at the castle.

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_I should probably warn you that not all chapters will unequivocally be as long as those I am posting. It just happens that I have plenty of time on my hands to think, write and research. _

_I know this chapter was a little slow moving but I hope that it made you laugh in parts and hopefully it will encourage you to want to read more. I will probably have some time to write after work this evening but I probably won't post again until tomorrow. Thank you for reading and your responses! They really do motivate me to work even harder. :}  
_

_Shout Out to My Reviewers: Great Story, Mel and sara253xxx  
_

_And of Course My Followers (:} Makes me sound awesome!): Alakazambo and sara253xxx  
_

_Thank you!  
_

_C.B.  
_


	5. Hagrid and Mongrels

_Chapter 5: Hagrid and Mongrels_

She slipped a little down the hill towards Hagrid's hut but got up giggling as she continued on her way. Slipping once more, she ran into his door with a rather loud thunk and just as she was wondering if she could use that as her knock, the door swung open and it was filled with the giant groundskeeper. He looked curiously down at her with his beetle black eyes before crying out in shock.

"Why if it isn't Emilia Pendragon, daughter of Lewis and Zandria! I was wonderin' when you'da come ter see me," he greeted cheerfully stepping back so that she could come into the cabin. Looking around she saw Fang lying by the fireplace just as her father told her he would be. There was also a kettle over the fire and Emilia guessed Hagrid must be in the middle of making tea.

"I was just abou' ter brew meself some tea and by the looks of it, you could use a steamin' cup yerself, am I right?" Hagrid asked as he shuffled around his home fetching another large mug to set on the table. "Sit, sit, don' be shy," he said and by the movement of his whiskers she thought he must be smiling. She grinned back at him and pulled herself up onto one of the chairs closest to the fire, pulling of her now sopping wet robes and scarf.

"I'm sorry I'm making such a mess, Hagrid," she said grimacing slightly as her clothing dripped. He glanced at her curiously making some note of how she would probably be able to dry her clothes with magic come winter time, but for the time being he hung them by the fire for her.

"Your dad did say you was a polite young witch just as was fittin' fer a daughter of Zandria," Hagrid went on, "A lovely creature she was, ain't no mistake. But she wasn't as, er, snippety as some o' those Veelas tend to be. No, very patient she was."

Emilia gazed into the fire almost being able to picture her mother's face in the flames, how she must have looked to Hagrid and the other males of the human race. Veelas tended to be rather fickle creatures but they attracted even the cruelest of men. To have come across a Veela without a temper who was kind to all she met would definitely be quite the sight to behold. "In fact," Hagrid continued, "she usually sat in that very spot when she and yer father would come ter visit me." He smiled another of his whiskery smiles as the teapot began to whistle. Scooping tea leaves into both mugs that were more like jars to Emilia's eyes, he poured the hot water into them. He offered her some honey which she thanked him for before holding the mug between her hands, her fingers coming back to life and being set all a-tingle from the warmth.

"Hagrid, Papa said you were a half-breed," Emilia said after a time of silence. "Like me," she added hastily looking up at him to make sure she hadn't insulted him. He was looking at her gently and nodded.

"Yer dad is right. Don' hesitate to come on down if you need a lil of yer 'own kinds' company," Hagrid said with a wink. She couldn't help but smile before taking a sip of her tea and looking up at him again.

"Is it hard to be a half-breed around Hogwarts?" she asked rather anxiously. "I'm in Slytherin, after all, and I hear they usually only accept pure bloods." Hagrid nodded again taking a sip of his tea before looking down at her steadily.

"Yes, it usually is hard for persons such as us. But you must remember that unless a Veela comes straight out and tells the people she's with what she is, they usually never know. The one thing that sets them apart is their ability to attract the affections and attentions of all males, of all the intelligent species, if you understand me," he said warmly before putting his hand on top of hers, or rather on her arm. "You'll be jes' fine," he said positively before taking a massive gulp of his tea.

"Thanks Hagrid," she said with her warmest smile but her attention was soon caught away by Fang coming up to sit by her trying to put his head in her lap. She laughed at his antics petting his head and scratching him behind the ears.

If she would have been watching, she would have seen a faint tinge of pink on Hagrid's cheeks as he got lost in a memory of another of the Veela kind smiling at him in just such a way. He shook his head and started telling Emilia all about how he'd come into possession of Fang and the time passed quite merrily.

However when Hagrid glanced outside and saw how dark it was, his merry face suddenly dropped as he stood hastily and handed Emilia her now dry robes and scarf. "Er, quickly, Emilia. We need to get you up to the castle. It's about dinnertime anyhow," he said giving her a nervous smile. Emilia wrapped herself up looking at Hagrid with concern.

"What's the matter, Hagrid?" she asked sparing a glance outside. He tried to wipe away his nerves and give her a more convincing smile saying it was 'nothin' ter be afraid of' which instantaneously set Emilia on edge as she looked out the window at the inky blackness once more. It had stopped raining but the wind had picked up and it gave her the chills. She tried to let Hagrid think that she had believed him taking hold of one of his fingers since they were the only thing her small hand could hold onto as they walked out his front door.

"Keep the hut safe while I'm gone, Fang," Hagrid said with forced lightness. Emilia's eyes flicked over the ground they still had to cross to get up to the castle, the Forbidden Forest just along their left side. She moved slightly closer to Hagrid as she imagined dark and dangerous creatures leering out at her from between the trees. The giant closed the door behind them and started walking, half towing Emilia's small form toward the castle. She trotted along beside him, her eyes constantly looking back toward the forest.

That was when a blood curdling howl tore through the wind in the air and Hagrid halted looking toward the forest as well. Without saying a word, he swung the half-Veela up into his arms and started running toward the castle. More howls accompanied the first and Emilia forced herself to keep from screaming but she could see over Hagrid's shoulder as he turned his back on the forest and was taking the last few "steps" as a giant would refer to them as to the castle stairs.

"Hagrid, the darkness!" Emilia cried in fear and he looked over his shoulder to see what she was seeing. Black, inky looking creatures were separating themselves from the shadows of the trees and started—running? Slithering? –toward them across the grass. He curled her up against his chest telling her not to look because that only encouraged them as if to calm her, as if the creatures would stop their pursuit simply because those who were being pursued weren't looking at them.

She felt the giant sprinting up the stairs, a low howl sounding off the castle walls. It sounded as if the pursuers were at Hagrid's heels when he threw open the door, tossed Emilia into the hall and turned back to close the door behind them. The brown-eyed girl had skidded across the marble on her bum and looked up to see the creatures taking on a new form. Something dark with wings. She screamed as one of the creatures got close enough to stick its hand through the door just as Hagrid snicked it shut. The creature cried out keening in pain and its scaly hand dropped to the floor inside the castle right before Emilia fainted dead away.

When she came to, Emilia felt the crisp linen sheets of the infirmary surrounding her. The smell of cleanliness was dominant through her pounding headache. She let her eyes flutter open to look at the ceiling cast in a bluish glow from the moonlight bathing it through the window to her left. A few shadows were thrown across her face and she looked toward the window to see a little night stand with a lamp thereon. She slowly sat up rubbing her face with her hand before looking around her private space shrouded in white plastic curtains.

She heard voices on the other side of her curtains and a light beyond the voices threw their shadows on her curtains.

"It's my fault, Professor Dumbledore, sir. I should have 'ad her up to the castle before the sunset but we got lost in talk about her parents and… it felt as though Zandria had come back ter visit me," said the unmistakable voice of Hagrid.

"It certainly is your fault, Rubeus!" exclaimed the voice of a woman. "That poor child should never have seen the mongrels. I suspect she'll have nightmares for weeks—," she would have continued but the voice of Dumbledore stepped in.

"Calm yourself, Madam Pomfrey. Hagrid has admitted his mistake. But Hagrid, you must remember it is not Zandria," Dumbledore said gently with caution.

"I know, sir," Hagrid said glumly.

"And until I am sure you don't think of her as Zandria's replacement, I must suggest that you keep away from her," Dumbledore continued as Emilia slipped quietly from her bed opening the curtains to look at the three adults. Only Dumbledore didn't look surprised by her sudden arrival. Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid looked extremely startled before the lady went into nurse mode trying to usher Emilia back to her bed but the girl avoided her hands and stepped closer to Hagrid looking at Dumbledore, his blue eyes looking at her over his half-moon spectacles.

When she spoke she was surprised by her own composure. "Professor Dumbledore, you cannot separate Hagrid from me. Even he does think of my mum when he looks at me," she looked up at the scruffy giant who had obviously been crying. "He's the only one I know that knows what it's like to be a half-breed. My papa told me to seek him out and so I've done. Would you take away one of my only friends?" she asked, her voice never rising. She saw the pity in his gaze and she looked at the floor.

"Emilia!" called a desperate voice and the half-Veela's head snapped up to see Lily had just flung herself through the entrance of the hospital wing, Severus just appearing around the edge of the door.

"See, Lily, I told you she would be fine," Severus said with a sigh before Lily dashed to Emilia and hugged her fiercely.

"Severus told me that you fainted in the hall way and that Hagrid had picked you up and started toward the hospital wing and you looked rather pale. But he didn't tell me until after dinner and so I had to come straight away to make sure that you were alright and here you are! Pale as a sheet as though you'd seen a ghost!" Lily finally stopped for breathing purposes but continued to hug Emilia whose face softened to see the reaction of Lily. She wrapped her arms around her friend and squeezed her lightly before prying her gently away.

"I am alright, I was just frightened by a trick of the light and wind on the Forbidden Forest," Emilia said looking past Lily to Dumbledore who smiled knowingly.

"Well, indeed it looks like all is settled here. Now Miss Evans you should get to your dorms before the Fat Lady goes off visiting for the night," Dumbledore said as Lily turned to look at him blushing because she had totally neglected the presence of anyone but her friend. She nodded giving Emilia a swift kiss on the cheek before disappearing past Severus down the corridor toward Gryffindor tower.

Severus turned as if to go but continued to look at Emilia as if waiting for her to join him Emilia bid Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey goodnight before looking at Dumbledore. "Get some rest, Miss Pendragon. I daresay you have a full schedule to look forward to tomorrow," Dumbledore stated after Emilia had observed him for a full minute. Emilia pursed her lips before bidding him a goodnight as well and joining Severus to walk to their common room.

They had walked silently up until they reached the proper dungeon wall when Emilia stopped the dark haired boy by touching his arm. "Thank you for telling Lily," she said with a gentle smile. He froze for only a moment before brushing her hand off his arm.

"I only told Lily because I know she cares about you. Never mistake my telling Lily about you for me caring," he said coldly before stating the password and walking through the wall. Emilia stood quietly out in the corridor until she believed Severus would already be at the boys' dorms. She sighed wishing she knew what Lily saw in him and that he would at least treat her as a friend instead of an obnoxious pet that he was obligated to look out for.

"Dragon droppings," she said rather mournfully before walking through the wall and to her dormitory for the night.

* * *

_Casidhe here. I haven't heard from anyone on the last chapter or two, I believe but I hope you enjoyed this one. Thanks for reading!_

_C.B._


	6. Nightmares and Pirates

_Chapter 6: Nightmares and Pirates_

Emilia woke up screaming having flung herself into a bolt upright position her hand stretched before her. She brought the hand to her sweating forehead and wiped off the thin film. It had already been a week since the encounter with the mongrels and the nightmares were starting to put her on edge.

However as nightmares are apt to do it wasn't just her and Hagrid against the mongrels but Remus, off all people, was there too. They would always start walking the stretch between Hagrid's and Hogwarts castle when the bone chilling howls would start. Hagrid would heft her up into his arms and the males would start running, the mongrels emerging from the shadows quick as lightning. Then it would start to rain and although Hagrid was sure of foot, Remus would slip and slide, trip and inevitably fall.

Emilia would call out his name trying to get Hagrid to turn back around to get her friend as well but it was as though the giant's ears were made of cloth and Remus, defenseless, would fall prey to the mongrels. Every time this was when Emilia would wake up, scream sitting up in bed and reaching a hand out for Remus.

Apart from the classes they had together, Emilia never spent any time with the kind-hearted Gryffindor. She hadn't told Lily of her nightmares but she was sure it would come up in their conversations soon. She wasn't sleeping well at all and the effects of it were seen in the bathroom mirror when she took the time to look.

Not only were there dark sleepless circles underneath her wide brown eyes but her hair seemed to be getting more dull. She ran a less than energetic brush through the silvery blond strands before braiding it and winding it up in a bun at the back of her head.

She slipped the Slytherin tie under her collar but couldn't bring herself to tie it properly before slipping her arms into her robe.

Yawning she walked down the stairs to find Severus waiting for her. She was earlier than she usually was so he didn't scold her but he did glance at her with concern that she missed as she immediately turned for the way out of the common room. She walked rather zombie-like up the stairs with him silent beside her, a few other Slytherins trickling past them. She tripped on the last step but Severus caught her arm and pulled her upright. "Are you sure you're awake?" he asked sarcastically but she shrugged him off for it and he grimaced.

"I just need a bit of pumpkin juice," she mumbled softly as they got closer to the Great Hall.

She heard her name shouted across the corridor and she looked up to see Lily waving energetically at her. Emilia hoped from this distance her less than enthusiastic wave would seem like enough as she raised her arm completely over her head to try. It seemed to please Lily causing Emilia to smile softly before the tide of students pulled her and Severus to the Slytherin House table.

Sitting down at on a random spot of bench, Emilia took a few gulps of pumpkin juice before putting a bit of French toast and sausage on her plate using the Accio Charm she'd observed Professor Flitwick do although he hadn't taught it in their Charms class as yet. She even secured the maple syrup dish in her hand ready to pour before the student on her right, Severus being on her left, noticed who sat beside him.

"Miss Pendragon," said the smooth voice next to her. This broke her out of her stupor and suddenly she felt she was on pins and needles as she looked up to see Lucius Malfoy looking down at her quite incredulous. She finished pouring her syrup setting it aside and tucking in before talking.

"I would prefer you didn't speak to me before ten o'clock Malfoy and even then it's too soon," she said stiltedly.

"I'm not talking to you to quarrel. I simply wanted to know how a first year such as yourself knows how to use the Accio Charm." Her forehead furrowed slightly as she looked up at him putting a piece of toast in her mouth, chewed it and swallowed.

"Flitwick uses it all the time in class," she said slowly as if talking to a child. It didn't pass Lucius' attention and a vein in his forehead twitched slightly.

"Yes, but you are a first year. In your first week of school."

"I guess I learn best by observation, Malfoy," she said smiling sweetly up at him before putting her attention entirely on her meal once more. He opened his mouth to say something when the morning post suddenly showed up. Owls came down from the ceiling to their proper receivers and it startled Emilia when one landed on her shoulder. Looking over she found Pip with a letter clasped in his beak and a small pouch tied to his foot. She took the letter from him greeting him warmly with a stroke of his head, his eyes squinting contentedly before he hooted and held his leg out patiently for her to remove.

She did so before giving him a bite of sausage which he gobbled up quite merrily as she looked at the small pouch curiously before opening the letter. It was written in Lewis' hand and she remembered she'd sent him a letter a day or two earlier. She had made it out to be quite cheerful saying that even being in Slytherin wasn't so bad.

_My Sweet Girl,_

_ Do you expect me to believe for a moment that you are happy in Slytherin House? Although I must admit that you are completely right in saying the Sorting Hat won't change its mind even if I insist. _

_ Did I ever tell you how I tried to convince it to let me into Hufflepuff when I saw that was the House the attractive Veela got sorted into? It obviously ignored my request and put me in Ravenclaw. If there is one thing I know, it does tend to know where a person will learn the most. Even it is just the patience that one day not even House feuds will get between you and the person you adore. _

Emilia smiled at her father's allusion to his time at Hogwarts. Reading the rest of the letter turned out to be his relating matters at home and what he had been doing, what the weather had been like (pouring cats and frogs!) and that he was well aware that her birthday wasn't any time soon.

_ However, in the pouch you will find a small ring that I would like you to wear. It was your mother's and her mother's before that and so on and so forth. _

_ I miss you, Emilia and await the Christmas holiday with much anxiety! Until your next letter._

_Your Loving Papa,_

_Lewis_

Her smile became a little sad, a spot of homesickness growing in the pit of her stomach. Pip hooted for one more piece of sausage, nipping her fringe affectionately and taking off for the Owlery. Emilia opened the small pouch holding it upside down over her palm to empty its contents and a delicate silver ring fell into her palm. It was cunningly crafted made of one piece of silver that wound round the finger to hold a fiery looking stone in the shape of a flower. She was highly impressed but rather nonplussed to find it fit best on her right hand thumb. Lewis had always said her fingers were the same as her mother's even down to the size. She shrugged not minding where it was worn before folding the letter up and stuffing it along with the pouch into one of her robe pockets. She would have to show the ring to Lily when she got the chance.

"Miss Pendragon!"

Emilia's head snapped up her eyes open wide. "Vera verto!" she shouted at the rat that was sitting on her desk. It swiftly turned into a wine goblet… with pink ears. Emilia then looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking down at her rather disapprovingly.

"Miss Pendragon, I do not tolerate sleeping in my class," she said more gently. Emilia bit her lip and did the counter spell so she could try again. When she failed again, this time adding a tail along with the ears, McGonagall patted her shoulder and asked her to stay after class.

"Yes, professor," Emilia responded turning the rat back to its normal self. It paused in its snuffling and looked at her with a near intelligence that unsettled her. "Don't look at me like that," she mumbled to it under her breath and it went back to snuffling the desk until she tried the enchantment again. Lily watched her friend struggled and her expression was pained.

"Why were you sleeping in my class again, Miss Pendragon?" Professor McGonagall asked after all the other students had left the room. Emilia had just returned the rat to its cage ignoring it when it whiffled in her direction as she moved to stand in front of the witch's desk.

"I'm sorry, professor, it won't happen again—," Emilia began but McGonagall cut her off.

"Why were you sleeping?" she asked looking at her student with concern.

"I haven't been sleeping well this week, I guess," Emilia said not sure if nightmares were a good enough excuse to this strict teacher. When McGonagall held her peace the half-Veela looked at her and sighed. "I've been having this reoccurring nightmare since last Tuesday. It has been interrupting my sleep patterns, I'm afraid," she elaborated. This caused McGonagall to pause thoughtfully.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore told me of your little encounter. I think it will be best for you to go to the hospital wing, Miss Pendragon. Ask Madam Pomfrey for a draught so you can sleep for a few hours. Do not worry, I will tell your teachers of your condition," McGonagall consoled when Emilia began to shake her head. "Now go see Madam Pomfrey. You may not be in my House, Miss Pendragon, but you are still one of my most promising students." Emilia blushed at the praise from her teacher before nodding her head and walking from the Transfiguration classroom.

It took her a whole ten minutes of walking to realize she had no idea of how to get to the hospital wing. She'd been unconscious on the way to it and was too muddled in her thoughts to pay attention on the way back to the common room. She stopped in the middle of the corridor, all the students being in their classes already, and looked around for a sign.

She shrugged remembering that there were quite a number of staircases that she and Severus traversed on the way to the dungeons and as such started up the main stair case.  
It didn't take very long before she was completely lost within the school. When the first staircase moved she had screamed hanging on for dear life thinking that it was giving way and would crash down to the floor. But then it had re-cemented itself and she had finished going up.

She must have gone up four or five floors but there seemed to be more and more staircases that went up and suddenly fewer that went down. Her tiredness got the best of her and she slipped down to sit against a wall under a painting of a grassy field, with a fat little pony in the middle of it. She dropped her head into her hands and promptly fell asleep.

_Hagrid got three tankard sized mugs down for them as the pot of water started whistling. Emilia measured out the tea into the mugs before sitting down next to Remus again. Fang was whiffling around Remus' knees so that the young wizard would pet him and Remus obliged soon being joined in by Emilia, her silver hair tumbling over her shoulder into his lap as she did so. _

_Hagrid was talking about some creature he wanted to get so that he could raise it as a pet and the two students laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Emilia got through half of the tea in her mug as always seemed to be the case at Hagrid's when Remus suggested they get back up to the castle. _

_Emilia agreed and Hagrid offered to walk them up to the castle seeing as it was already dark. A chill ran down Emilia's spine when she realized just how dark it was. When the three of them cleared the landing of the hut, Emilia looked up at the sky to see the stars were covered up by heavy rain clouds. A sense of foreboding stole over her heart and her gaze moved to the forest as they started making their way up the hill. _

_It started to rain…_

"Emilia!"

Emilia started awake being shaken by her shoulders so her hands clapped to the hands that were gripping her and she looked into the anxious face of Sirius, James Potter at his shoulder looking down at her.

It took a few times of opening her mouth before the young witch stammered, "I-I got lost… on the way to the infirmary."

Sirius sighed with a wry smile. "You sure did. You're three floors too high… and not even in the correct tower," he said helping her up off the floor. She tipped into him, her mind a spinning kaleidoscope from the speed. He caught her and helped her stand straight not letting go until she relaxed, having found her equilibrium. "But I'd say the infirmary is exactly where you need to be," he said keeping an arm out to catch her again if needed.

She nodded but then looked curiously at the two boys. "Why are you up here, anyway?" she asked quietly.

"We have a class up here," James said. Emilia didn't ask for elaboration but turned to start walking down the staircase. "Where are you going?" James asked and she turned to look at him.

"This is the staircase I came up…?" she said.

"That sounded more like a question, Emi," Sirius said pulling her back up onto the level he and James were standing on. Emilia looked at him sharply when he shortened her name never having been called that by anyone but her father.

"What do you suggest I do then? Wait for the staircase to move again?" she asked, her temper starting to shorten from lack of sleep.

"Or you can let us guide you to the infirmary," Sirius said, not really suggesting it as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in a different direction, James leading the way. She squirmed away from his arm but he unabashedly took her by the hand instead. "We don't want you getting lost or falling over, right?" he asked and suddenly he wore a very similar expression to Remus. It startled her enough that she didn't rebel and let him lead her by the hand as James chose a different set of stairs to walk down that she would have sworn she'd never walked before but at this point, even if she got lost, at least she wasn't alone.

"Hey Sirius, you can take her the rest of the way from here," James said as he took off down a different corridor, "I promised Lily that I would walk her to her next class after all," he continued winking roguishly. Sirius gave a bark of laughter and Emilia watched him dispassionately as he walked down the corridor.

"Lily will never like James as he is now," she remarked bluntly as Sirius continued their path down the corridor.

"Ah, he'll grow up eventually and she'll like him then, you'll see," Sirius said confidently looking down at her almost conspiratorially. She sighed shaking her head and looking at the walls to see they were passing a huge panorama of a sea, ships sailing almost lazily across the panel going about their own business.

On the horizon a ship with a dark sail started to grow bigger and bigger and Emilia realized it was a pirate ship. It began attacking a merchant ship and she had to laugh when the pirates pulled out wooden spoons for swords and looked down at their weapons in surprise as the merchants emerged, wands raised and easily put all the pirates in full-body binds.

"I'm guessing you haven't seen this painting yet," Sirius said amused at her amusement. "Each time is different but the merchants are always wizards and the pirates are always foiled in the end."

Emilia looked up at him astonished and then back to the painting where the wizards levitated the pirates all back to their ship before sailing on their merry way. Emilia shook her head as they continued on and looked up when Sirius suddenly jerked to a stop.

"What are you doing with my cute first year, Sirius Black?" Lucius asked with a sneer.

Emilia could feel the how tense Sirius was and before he could speak she took a few steps forward letting go of his hand.

"He is leading me to the infirmary, under Professor McGonagall's order," she said more stoutly than she felt at the moment. She was lying to a prefect from her own House for the sake of a Gryffindor. She recoiled mentally at her way of thinking but stayed strong in front of Lucius.

"Is he now?" Lucius' tone was dangerous and she was angry to find herself taking two steps backward but Sirius was there and he supported her by the shoulders.

"As is apparent, Malfoy, the hospital lying directly behind you," Sirius said nodding toward the corridor Lucius had just left. The 5th year's eyes narrowed before replying in a silky voice, "I can take her from here. I am after all a prefect of her House and it is one my responsibilities, no, duties to make sure that she is very well taken care of."

Neither Emilia nor Sirius liked the way it sounded but it was true. Lucius, seeing he had won, turned back the way he had come gesturing for Emilia to join him. The half-Veela shifted uncomfortably before turning back to Sirius.

"Thank you, Sirius, for getting me this far," she said softly giving him a wane smile before turning to leave. He stopped her and turned her back to him his eyes narrowing over her head for a moment before he looked down at her again.

"If you ever need anything, you know where to find us," he said squeezing her shoulders emphatically before turning on his heel and leaving her alone with Lucius.

The rest of the journey (Emilia was compelled to call it such seeing as it had taken her nearly four hours to get there) to the hospital wing was uncomfortable seeing as Lucius had insisted she take his arm as they walked down the hall. He asked her questions that she found she could answer yes or no to and he couldn't argue so she felt as though she could claim one victory there.

She sighed with relief when she came into view of Madam Pomfrey who was looking rather flustered but turned exceptionally stern when she laid eyes on the two students.

"Where were you? I expected you here almost four hours ago after Professor McGonagall contacted me.

"I'm sorry Madam Pomfrey," Emilia said biting back a yawn. "I'm afraid I got lost." The witch tsked at her but excused Lucius (who seemed rather disgruntled to be "out of a job" so quickly) and led Emilia to a bed.

Madam Pomfrey proffered a rather delicious smelling cup with contents that met Emilia's expectations. Almost immediately she felt drowsy and lay down beneath the linen sheets as Madam Pomfrey nodded satisfied and fell into a deep and, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

* * *

_I do believe this makes two chapters in one day from my perspective. How productive! It must have been because I got more reviews, followers and even a favorite! I am super pleased by this turn of events and hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing this. _

_C.B.  
_

_Shout Out to Reviews: GothGirl3030 and Anonymous  
_

_Shout Out to New Followers: GothGirl3030 and uhhnonymous  
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_And Shout Out to Favorite!: uhhnonymous  
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_Thanks you guys! This is what keeps fuel to the fire. :)  
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	7. Roses and Wolfs Bane

Chapter 7: Roses and Wolfs Bane

Sitting up quickly, Emilia looked about her in a high-strung confused manner. Everything around her was white. She had been expecting the dark green almost black curtains of her four-poster bed. Finally coming fully awake she remembered she was in the infirmary and she relaxed against the pillows for a moment before popping back up. When she had fallen asleep it was getting dark outside but now it was quite bright.

She looked around and found a clock hanging on the wall that told her it was already 10 o'clock am. "Gah!" she shouted throwing the covers off of her and then noticing her white clothed self. Her eye twitched not remembering when she'd changed into the gown from her uniform. She looked around in a panic. She was late for class and had already missed Transfiguration! Professor McGonagall would give her detention for sure.

Emilia heard the click of high heels on the clean floor of the infirmary and the curtain around her space was pulled back slightly by Madam Pomfrey. "Ah, it is you making all that racket, Miss Pendragon. Wait here, I'll go get your things," she said in a business like manner.

Madam Pomfrey's unhurried way of speaking and walking away to get her things relaxed the student as she sat back on the bed to wait more patiently.

As she waited she looked around her small space and her eyes caught onto something lying on the bed side table. It was a wild pink rose and a small card. The card was made of simple white paper but on the inside was a drawing of a small owl on a branch. Some charm had brought it to life and it blinked and hooted silently up at her. It looked suspiciously like Pip. There was a little writing on it as well in a very neat hand:

_I hope that you slept well. See you in class._

It wasn't signed as Emilia even inspected the back. She looked at the rendering of Pip again admiring the delicacy of detail when Madam Pomfrey returned.

"A Gryffindor asked me to deliver that to you. For a Slytherin you sure make friends in interesting circles, Miss Pendragon," Madam Pomfrey said with a raised brow as she set Emilia's clothes on the bed beside her. "Also, Professor McGonagall has asked the teachers to excuse you for one more day. And seeing as it is such a beautiful sunny day told me to suggest you take yourself outside to sit by the lake. Revive yourself a little." She stroked Emilia's silvery blond hair with a gentle smile before walking briskly back to her office.

Emilia slowly got dressed pondering the rose and its sender. She would say it was Lily but the handwriting was wrong although no less neat and tidy. She raised her eyebrows with a shrug. 'Must have been Remus,' she thought to herself jumping to the most likely, in her mind, conclusion out of the few Gryffindors she associated with. She would have to remember to thank him for it later.

She slipped her tie lazily about her neck leaving it untied as she straightened the sheets on the bed though she knew they would be washed and replaced as soon as she left. Picking up the gift she left the infirmary toward Slytherin Commons to drop it off before she would go outside.

Everyone was in class again as she roamed the corridors thankful that once she got to the main hall it wasn't such a big deal to find her common room.

"Dragon droppings," she said pausing a moment before walking straight into the wall and knocking her head against solid stone. Falling back on her butt managing to save the rose she groaned, rubbing her head as she looked at the wall. She saw that the light sconce was indeed on the right side and not the left (any with it on the left being the wrong wall) and she sighed. The password must have changed since the day before it being a week since they were given the last one. She stood up rubbing the sore spot that was sure to become a bruise and pondering what she was going to do when she heard footsteps behind her. She grimaced before smoothing her face as she turned, praying that it wasn't a certain prefect she'd come to loathe.

It wasn't. But although he wore the Slytherin colors and patch she couldn't place his face meaning he was probably from the older Slytherins. He smiled in a rather dashing yet roguish way that caused a pretty blush to bloom on her cheeks and she thanked the dungeon lighting for any cover up it was giving her.

"Emilia Pendragon, isn't it?" She blushed even more when she could only respond with a shy nod. "My name is Elliot Mosley," he introduced himself stretching out his hand to her, "3rd year Slytherin."

She took his hand and he shook it once before pulling her by the hand to the wall again. "The new password is wolfs bane," he unnecessarily whispered, leaning closer to her, before pulling her through the wall along with him. He let go of her once they had reached the other side and saluted her casually. "Best if you leave a note for the house elves. I'm sure they could find a vase with some water for your rose," he said with a wolfish grin before disappearing into the boys dormitories.

She watched the place where he had been swallowed by darkness for a moment continuing to blush at all his forwardness. They hadn't even been friends and he simply took hold of her hand!

'Sirius took hold of your hand yesterday…' the little voice in her head chirruped and she wondered why she hadn't felt the same indignation. They weren't exactly friends either… were they? She shook her head finally going up into the girls' dormitories. Of course it wasn't the same. Sirius was her age but Elliot… and she had known Sirius for at least a week when with Elliot… her thoughts couldn't seem to form anything beyond "Elliot" and so she shoved the thought away altogether muttering something about boys and confusion.

However she did as Elliot suggested by putting a note beside her rose for the house elves. The note Remus (or so she assumed) had given her she put into the book she was currently reading. It was some novel by a Muggle author that had caught her attention and caused a source of intrigue to well up within her. She almost set the book back down but remembering she had the day off she shrugged out of her robes and, tucking the book under her arm, headed outside.

She didn't see Elliot, or anyone else for that matter, when she left the dormitory.

As Madam Pomfrey had said it was truly a beautiful day. Sunny but with just enough clouds to keep it from being too bright. Looking up through the branches of the tree she sat under, Emilia could see a few cheery white clouds scudding across the blue sky. The ground was littered with leaves but a good handful still clung to the branches above. She was glad there was at least one more day of mild summer weather before the autumn settled in with its usual crispness.

Her book lay in the leaf strewn grass beside her as she twirled a leaf between her fingers. She had been startled at first when she saw the giant squid skimming along the surface of the lake but she was soon smiling at its lazy movements as it clearly enjoyed the sunshine. A soft breeze picked up over the lake and blew some loose strands of hair about her face the rest intact in the braided bun.

She couldn't say how long she stayed in that position, serenely watching the lake but when her name was called her gaze caught the leaves that had landed on her skirt in the meantime. Looking to the left back toward the castle she saw Lily and Severus walking toward her, Lily in the act of waving. She smiled gently standing up and brushing the back of her skirt and picking up her book before meeting them on their way down the slope to the lake. Lily flung her arms about her neck and Emilia barely caught them from falling backwards, steadying Lily with an arm across her back.

"It's good to see you too, Lily," she laughed quietly before Lily put her at arms length and looked at her critically.

"McGonagall said you hadn't been sleeping well," Lily said sadly before Emilia interjected, guiding her away from asking why.

"But I did sleep well last night and I should be good as new tomorrow, so don't you worry. No good ever comes from worrying," Emilia continued hitting her forehead softly against her friend's hoping this would be enough like the normal her to console the green-eyed girl. It seemed to work as Lily beamed and turned back to the school linking arms with her and Severus going on about the day's lessons and how much Emilia would likely have to catch up on.

"Well it's a good thing I learn by watching then, isn't it?" she asked lightly casting Severus a look to see if he remembered the 'Accio' incident between her and Lucius. She thought she heard a scoff from him as he turned his face away but there was a distinct curl to his lip that made her grin.

"If we go to the Library, I can at least show you what we studied in class," Lily suggested as they climbed up the steps to the main doors which were left open seeing as the afternoon was still on. Emilia agreed and soon found their steps being led to the Library.

Upon entering the room, she breathed in deeply. The smell of parchment, books and polished wood filled her senses and her mood rose even higher. The three of them sat down at an empty table, Severus pulling out their book for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Lily pulling out the Transfiguration book. Emilia and Lily spoke quietly, Lily explaining as Emilia questioned and they spent a good hour or so in that state.

The Library started to empty and Emilia stood up as Severus and Lily put their books away. They made their way rather lazily to the Great Hall for dinner and bumped into Sirius, James, Remus and a mousey haired boy that Lily whispered the name of to Emilia. "That's Peter Pettigrew. He just sort of started hanging around them and they tolerate it I suppose." Emilia just shook her head but Sirius caught her eyes and he was looking at her with quiet concern.

She mouthed the words "I'm fine" with a small smile which Lily caught and looked toward the boys but immediately after she'd moved her lips and before Lily looked, Sirius had engaged in a boisterous conversation with James. Lily looked a question at Emilia but the silvery-blond had turned her gaze toward the hall and her friend seemed to let it drop for the moment.

Emilia's attention was caught seeing the light glance off chestnut brown hair and she only needed to see his profile to know that Elliot Mosley was just entering the Great Hall. He seemed to be laughing but then turned his face a little further, looking over his shoulder, and he spotted Emilia to whom he cast a smile, only his lips curving as he saluted her as he had earlier that afternoon before disappearing among the masses.

Her heart skipped and she put her hand to it self-consciously wondering if it had been truly toward her and if anyone else had caught it.

* * *

_I am sorry it took me so long to post this new chapter and I also apologize for its length but I figured I should get one out soon before I lose all my people. Haha!_

_Anyhow, I hope you like the twist that I have inserted with another character.  
_

_Also, I have recently fallen in love with the musical called The Fantasticks. You should all see it if you ever get the chance. I am also in the middle of auditioning for a play and that is also one of the reasons for the tardiness of this chapter. It's hard to concentrate on writing when one is nervously memorizing a monologue.  
_

_Thank you! I hope you come back for the next installment.  
_

_Shout Out for My Newest Follower: Xxluff4evaxX who also happened to Favorite this story. Thank you! 3  
_

_C.B.  
_


	8. Something Wicked This Way Comes

_Chapter 8: Something Wicked This Way Comes  
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"What's wrong, Emilia? Does your chest hurt?"

Emilia jumped a little her eyes snapping to see Lily looking at her in concern. She let her hand slip back to her side grasping for an excuse for touching her heart. "Ah, I had an itch." She berated herself inwardly thinking how stupid it must sound if her face hadn't matched the usual expression that one might see with an itch. Lily however continued to look at her with concern and the half-Veela had to pat her shoulder and assure her that all was alright before she got swept up in the Slytherin crowd as they separated toward their tables.

She couldn't see what Lily's final reaction was and hoped for the best as she finally struggled out of the mass and sat down next to Severus at the dining table. She looked up to see Elliot sitting across from her, picking up a goblet that had already been filled. A sly smile stole over his face before he took a drink and turned to the person sitting beside him. Emilia saw that it was a black haired girl who Emilia thought very beautiful apart from the haughty look she wore.

She looked to her side and saw Severus was taking part in a conversation on his other side. She bit back a sigh before tucking into her small meal. She finished it as quickly as she could without drawing unnecessary attention to herself, covertly glancing at Elliot to see him almost continuously flirting with the girl beside him. She shook herself mentally. All he did was give her the password to their dorms. It wasn't anything special. Plus, another glance, he was really obviously just a playboy. After drinking the rest of her juice she stood up casually from the table, picking up the book she had brought with her and walked out with the few trickling students who had also finished before their Houses.

As she turned toward the Slytherin commons she heard her name called. She turned around curiously and saw Sirius striding toward her. "Sirius, what's the matter?" she asked as he stopped just a step away from her. He pushed a hand through his dark tousle of hair as he gathered his thoughts.

"I, er, just wanted to say it's good to see you better and that, er, Malfoy hadn't done anything weird to you or anything," as his eyes glared at the ceiling. She stood watching him briefly before letting out a small laugh. His gaze snapped to her and he blushed which caused her to laugh more.

"Thank you for your concern, Sirius," she said once she'd contained herself giving him a smile before taking a step back and toward the Slytherin commons. He managed a nod before turning and leaving as quickly as he had come. She turned to walk down some stairs, feeling light and buoyant. She'd gotten halfway down the stairs when she was startled by the Bloody Baron floating up quickly in her direction with a few students running up behind him.

"Don't go down there, 1st year," he warned and at her question he continued, "It would seem some mongrels found their way into the castle." She felt momentarily frozen as her fellow Slytherins passed her on the stairs going the opposite way she had been walking as she remembered the inky dark, the monstrous wings, the scaly hands ending in claws. Turning sharply she dashed up the stairs overtaking a few of the other students who exclaimed in surprise. They were all led by the Bloody Baron to the Great Hall, bursting in as other students were starting to pour out.

Emilia ran into someone in Slytherin robes and looking up, her expression frantic, she saw Elliot and his dark brown eyes looking at her. He caught her elbows holding her firmly. "What's going on, Emilia?"

"Mongrels," she whispered clinging to the sleeves of his black robes. He looked at her without comprehension when Dumbledore's voice carried over all of the ruckus in the Great Hall.

"The students of all but Slytherin are to return to your House Common Rooms immediately along with their head of houses and prefects. Slytherin students are to remain here in the Great Hall with their head of house and prefects," Dumbledore announced before turning to the teachers that remained at his side as the Heads moved to gather and guide their students. Elliot and Emilia were whisked along the current of Slytherin students to the wall beside their House Table where Horace Slughorn flanked by Narcissa and Lucius stood and waited. The Great Hall emptied quickly and the tables were magicked away and replaced with poufs and pillows that could be sat on.

"Everyone please relax. Professor Dumbledore and the other teachers will have this situation soon in hand," Professor Slughorn said with a smile. Trembling, Emilia collapsed onto a pouf too out of it to be startled when Elliot joined her on the same pouf, an arm about her shoulders. Her nightmares and the time with Hagrid continued to repeat themselves in her head and across her eyelids when she dared close them. Elliot didn't say a word as he brought her face to his shoulder.

"It's alright, Emilia. Nothing is going to touch you. You're safe. Wake up from this nightmare," he whispered. The words, though they had feeling in them, sounded as though they were being repeated from another time. She chanced a glance at his features and he looked lost in a different time as well. Feeling very young she wrapped her arms around his stomach tightly, clenching her eyelids even harder repeating his words in her own head much like one would count sheep.

She was shaken awake and she looked up into Elliot's face. She sat up too quickly, being startled, and knock her head against his. They both pressed hands against the rapidly forming red bumps on their heads, Emilia with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Elliot," she said embarrassed. He rubbed his head one more time before removing his hand and trying to regain his usual aloof air but it didn't quite come to life fully because of the red mark above his eyebrow.

"Dumbledore came back briefly to tell us it was all clear to go back to the dormitories," he explained standing up and pulling her to her feet.

"Did he say what it was?" she asked barely loud enough for him to hear as the rest of the students started to sweep them out of the Great Hall in a tumultuous noise. Elliot shook his head negatively but didn't elaborate until they found themselves in the Slytherin Commons someone else having said the password for the entry for them. Most of the students headed to their rooms, yawning intermittently with their excited chatter. Elliot however sat on the couch in front of the fire and patted the spot next to him.

After having fallen asleep literally in his arms, Emilia made sure to keep the middle cushion free taking the far one though keeping to the same couch. His expression clouded for the briefest moment before he spoke.

"We were waiting in the Great Hall for a good two hours before Dumbledore came to tell us the coast was clear," Elliot said as he looked into the fire. She blushed at having slept soundly for two hours but he went on. "When he did come back, it looked to me that his robe was a little worse for wear. I wonder what kind of creatures could sneak into the castle, cause that much commotion, but still not be enough of a problem for Dumbledore to explain to us exactly what they were." He sounded discontent and Emilia cast about for a valid reason.

"Perhaps… they are in league with Voldemort," Emilia suggested, shuddering slightly at the very thought of the man. Her father, Lewis, had often told her about Voldemort and how he was back in their time at Hogwarts. By Elliot's look he didn't seem to think it a bad connection. Pursing her lips she stood up from the couch. "Well, I should get to bed," she said yawning and making her way around the far side of the couch from Elliot. "And, er, thanks for everything," she said casting him a shy smile. He saluted her like he had earlier but his expression was deep in thought and she felt that she didn't want to know what lie behind those thoughts.

She quickly went up to her room and smiled as she saw the rose in a vase. 'I didn't see much of Remus… I guess I'll have to wait for tomorrow,' she thought as she changed into her pajamas, crawled into her bed after what seemed forever and fell quickly into sleep.

* * *

_Casidhe here!_

_Hello my little Harry Potter friends! I apologize for the long wait for such a short chapter. I started school about two weeks and have been up to my eyeballs in stress and such it would seem. But never fear! I am here again and will do my best to get out at least ONE chapter each week and if I find myself with time and thought energy, I will write more.  
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_And now for the shout outs:  
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_Reviews: Ma'tasiinthedragonslayer and brittneyleighmurphy  
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_C.B.  
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	9. Birds and Snakes

_Chapter 9: Birds and Snakes  
_

A good week had passed since the mongrels break in to the castle and after one more round in the infirmary, Emilia was back to being her well rested self. She hadn't seemed to have the time to thank Remus for the gift he had left her either and, though she felt he might be insulted by it, he still treated her to a welcoming smile and a bracing hello when they did have a chance to exchange greetings. Besides, she reasoned, he hadn't signed his name… perhaps it hadn't been him after all. She reasoned this so much to herself that she soon forgot the need to thank him and let it sit on the back burners.

What she could not dismiss, however, was her father's concerns about her health and safety. It became apparent to Emilia that Madam Pomfrey must have told Lewis about the mongrel incidents and the resulting nightmares that occurred thereafter. Probably under Dumbledore's suggestion but she really wished they would have let the matter rest.

_Maybe I should just come and get you now and we can try sending you again next year! _

The mere suggestion had caused her to flinch, catching Severus' attention.

"What's wrong?" he asked without inflection as he looked down at her through his hair. Emilia glanced at him before shaking her head and reaching feverishly into her bag for a bit of parchment, her quill and an ink well. Pushing her food and pumpkin juice hastily out of the way, Severus righting the goblet before it spilled elsewhere, she smoothed out the parchment, dipped her quill and hastily wrote to her father.

_Dear Papa,_

_Please don't worry so about me. I am feeling much better and the mongrels haven't shown themselves for over a week. You over-react when you suggest to bring me home. I know Dumbledore and Hagrid will keep me safe and Madam Pomfrey will keep me well. _

_Do not worry! I will be home for the Christmas Holiday and will be happy to see you then. There aren't any classes today, seeing as it is Saturday so I expect I will be spending some time in the library with Lily._

_I love you!_

_Your Emilia_

She folded it up quickly and held it up for Pip. "Now, you needn't rush off right away. But do get this to Papa today, alright?" she asked. The tiny owl hooted softly, taking the letter after finishing up a bit of sausage he had snagged from a nearby plate and took off.

Emilia rubbed her face with her hand briefly before pulling it through her hair. Severus was still looking at her, now with an arched brow. How long had he been looking at her like that?

"Really, everything is fine, Sev. Papa is just overreacting to all that went on last week," she said shrugging before stepping away from the table. Pulling her bag over her shoulder she started out of the hall followed closely, and surprisingly, by Severus.

"Aren't you going to the library with Lily…?" he asked. She gathered he must have read her letter and she looked over at him.

"I already told her that I would be going down to Hagrid's today," Emilia said looking at him as if to ask if he had any more questions. He looked at her with pursed lips but said nothing more so she turned away again and walked briskly out of the Great Hall. She pulled up her hood as she stepped out the front doors and into the rain. She hadn't told Hagrid of her impending visit but she felt as though she must go and thus she followed the path down to his hut that seemed to sag a little in the cloud-made twilight though the windows twinkled quite merrily with fire light.

When she knocked on the door, she heard Fang give a loud bark which Hagrid stopped with some words to tell him to be quiet before he opened the door and looked down at her sodden self.

"Hello Hagrid!" she called up to him merrily.

"Er, hello there, Emilia," he said and he looked distracted.

She bit her lip in concern, a bit of water dripping from her hood onto her upturned face. "Is this a bad time?" she asked her eyes darting to see if she might see past him but his bulk filled the doorway and she could only hear the crackle of the flame and Fang's heavy breathing.

"Er, well, uh, yes, ter be frank. Mightn't you come back some other time?" he asked looking down at her with a forced smile. She didn't quite get her sure out before he said farewell and closed the door in her face. She looked at the door for a time before finally turning back up the slope to return to the castle. As Emilia walked up the slope, she felt a prickling on the back of her neck, her heart beginning to pound. She turned her face just enough so her peripheral could see the Forbidden Forest. The trees swayed naturally in the breeze but with their gray shadows underneath it was hard to think there was anything natural about it. She heard the soft moaning of the wind through the open arches of the castle's paths and in no time she found herself scurrying up the pathway.

She didn't dare look back until she was up the stairs and slipping into the castle. Her heart plummeted as she saw a creature with great black wings in the distance. She shoved the door shut as quickly as she could, before letting it support her weight as she tried to calm her heart and regain clarity in her thought. It could have been anything—of the bird variety at least. There was no need to jump to the conclusion that it was a mongrel.

With this personal reassurance, Emilia pushed the hood of her cloak back and wondered what she was to do with her free time now. She had already caught up on the class work she had missed and had studied well enough the day before to feel that she would be fine until Monday. She tapped her leg with her open hand as she debated on whether to go to the library to find Lily anyway or if she should just return to her common room. Neither choice seemed to pull her attention enough to decide her. Sighing loudly, her head dropped back and she looked up at the ceiling and she thought absently of how big Hogwarts Castle was…

That was it! She snapped her head back upright and made for the dungeons to drop off her bag and soggy cloak. She had already gotten lost once in the castle on the way to the infirmary but as her father always told her, "The best way to get to know a place is to get lost in it."

"Bloody Baron," Emilia said clearly before walking through the wall and into the dimly lit common room. She shivered still unnecessarily creeped out by her House's common room. Couldn't they at least give them a few natural candles without green flames? She shook her head and aimed for the girls dormitory quickly depositing her things knowing that the house elves would take care of her sopping cloak for her. It had been strange at first having always helped out with laundry and such at home (her mother having had a love for the Muggle appliances) and without laundry to do it left her with much more time that she was accustomed to.

Before walking back to the common room she stroked the rose gently (it had apparently been given a charm to last longer than usual cut flowers) and picked up the Muggle literature that had the note as a book mark.

Tucking it in the crook of her arm she walked down the hallway to the common room and headed straight for the wall when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Elliot reclining lazily in a chair before the fire. He looked as though he had been there for some time but had she really missed him when she had first walked in?

He gave her his cunning smile that seemed to tell her that she had indeed not noticed him although he had been sitting there plain as day in the sunlight. "Where are you going then?" he asked letting his gaze flicker to the book she carried and back to her face.

"Erm," she responded and she pushed a hand through her silvery hair wondering if she should tell him or not. His gaze was unwaveringly on her face and she felt as though he knew she might not tell the truth so she opted for the truth. "Just going to explore the castle," she said with a shrug but she remained rooted to the spot.

"Is that so?" he asked raising his eyebrows before standing and walking over to her. "Maybe I should come with you. We wouldn't want you to get lost now," he said stroking her hair. Her mind whirled. Although she had easily fallen asleep in his arms just a week ago, this familiarity seemed more… as if he had turned into a cunning snake and she into his helpless victim. She was frozen only a moment longer when he leaned down toward her and she suddenly scuttled backward toward the wall door.

"Uhm, actually, I mean to lose myself so that I can find myself," she said with a forced lightness as she made for the exit. "So, thank you but your services are not needed today!" she said in rapid fire as she turned to run and smacked into her least favorite prefect. She bobbed her head in acknowledgment before ducking around him and thankfully getting to the wall just in time to hear him ask, "Was that Emilia?" She had melted through the wall though before he could call her back at literally leaped up the stairs in two to three step intervals.

She continued the mad dash until she was in the main hallway surrounded by her fellow students. She gasped for air clutching at her chest when she ran into yet another Slytherin. She was still gasping for air but tried to smile at her one "friend" in Slytherin House.

"You look like a bird that has just escaped from a snake," he said dryly, his dark eyes quick and piercing in spite of his uncaring tone.

"Firstly, that's the second time you've referred to me as a bird," Emilia gasped, clutching his arm even as she pulled in great breaths of air, "and secondly… you could say I escaped two snakes just now."

He gave a long-suffering sigh but didn't shake her off as he normally would until she had clearly caught her breath. He shrugged her off then and as he walked past her, toward the dormitories he told her she could find Lily in the library. Thanking him she set off once more but toward the moving staircases instead of the library, taking no notice of the eyes that followed her.

* * *

_Hey! Casidhe here! I know it has been FOREVER since I last posted and I am deeply sorry for that. Welcome to college life I suppose. But here it is. I hope it wasn't a complete let down. I'm trying to pick up the momentum again so it will grip you and have you at the edge of your seats and all that good stuff. _

_As for shout outs here they are! (I hope I don't miss anyone... let me know if I do and I will include you next time!)  
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_Favoriteers: .Nicoleta  
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_Reviews: sara253xxx  
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_Followers: .Nicoleta, katchile94, and HarryPotterLover2  
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_Gah! Wonderful! Thank you all for your very fine support! I'm going over to my other story to hopefully update that as well. Let me know how you feel it is going and I am open to advice, etc. Thanks! Much love and Happy Thanksgiving. :)  
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_C.B.  
_


	10. Get Lost

_Chapter 10: Get Lost  
_

Emilia took her time walking up the first staircase as she wondered which staircase she would take next. The bustle in the hall calmed down a bit there was always someone or a few someones going to and fro. She passed a few Hufflepuffs on her way up and she pursed her lips as she did so, hearing them chatter about their plans to help Professor Sprout with the greenhouses.

She let herself watch as they passed by and she wilted slightly. Even Hufflepuff would be better than Slytherin, right? She shook her head and continued up the stairs, looking away just as one of the Hufflepuff girls looked at her curiously but continued her way down chattering with her friends.

It wasn't too long before Emilia felt herself satisfactorily lost in the castle. Knowing she had meant to, however, instead having done it on accident gave her more confidence and she was calmer as she looked around the hallway she had lost herself down. Down this hall there were many picture frames with painted scenery reaching from open fields to dark studies but there weren't any inhabitants aside from butterflies and a few spiders.

They must all be off visiting, she realized with a half smile. She had heard of subjects leaving their personal portraits but all the pictures in her house seemed to stay put, content enough to watch what she was up to or listen in on the conversations she had with her father. She pursed her lips slightly when she thought of Lewis and the letter she had received from him not two hours prior. She hoped her own return letter would calm him enough that he would await her patiently for the Christmas holiday.

Turning down yet another hallway she found a winding staircase. She tilted her head in curiosity at finding it so far in the back of the castle… or what she assumed was the back. She couldn't be sure after how many times she had twisted and turned. Going to the bottom of the staircase, she placed her hand lightly on the beginning of the banister trying to peer up further to where it might lead. It was all darkness except for a very small point of light she assumed was at the top.

Emilia's eyes remained fixated on the point of light until she had to stop about midway along the stairs and right herself again. The darkness didn't readily help her find her equilibrium but after standing with both hands on the banister with her eyes shut for a couple minutes she found balance and proceeded on.

When she finally reached the point of light, she found it was actually a perfectly circular hole in the floor of what turned out to be a room. She had to scramble up a small ladder that breeched the gap between the landing of the stairs and the edges of the "door" and what met her eyes boggled and astounded her. The room was obviously in one of the spire-like towers of Hogwarts being completely circular and it held three windows each paned with rather dusty windows with what must have been a pretty latticework of iron across their faces. They let in just enough light to shine on a dust covered desk underneath the, what she worked out to be, north facing window. There were also book cases, full of books and empty picture frames, a few knick knacks placed here and there where there was still room afforded them.

Running a finger along the spine of one of the books wiped away a film of dust that she brushed off on her jeans. "Lunar Eclipses and the Meanings Thereof," she read as the title. She hummed softly in curiosity before touching a square shaped box. Picking it up, she examined it thoroughly before opening it up. Within lay a black dried rose bud. She shut the box quickly, setting it carefully back where it had sat for who knows how long.

Her dark eyes finally turned to rest on the desk where there lay various sheaves of parchment, quills and even a couple more books. Emilia took a few steps closer and felt like there was a sort of order even in the disarray. She carefully shifted a few pieces of the parchment and was glad to see they didn't disintegrate from her touch. Picking up a darkened piece, she held it up to see if there was anything to see among the ink and what she assumed were scorch marks. As she examined, something shone on it. Shifting the paper revealed that it wasn't on it but reflecting onto it. The Veela turned her head to glance behind her and her eyes caught something on the other side of the hole in the floor. She placed the parchment she'd been holding back on the desk without taking her eyes off the far edge of the room. Carefully walking around the way out she bent down to pick up a mirror. It was one of the fancy, hand held type and the work of it was quite curious. The handle was fashioned into a loop which one could stick their hand through and the work around the mirror face looked like it was probably gilded and highly fashionable at some point.

"But it's so dirty," she tsked softly at its tarnished state. Finally turning her attention to its glass face, her brow furrowed realizing that there wasn't a speck of dust to be found… and it wasn't reflecting her. Or her surrounds for that matter. She even looked over her shoulder at the dusty room to be sure before looking back at the clutter the mirror actually reflected. Piles upon piles of things lay around according to the reflection from ordinary world globes and maps to mannequins and what looked to be feathery boas and costume jewelry.

It was at that moment that she realized her hands were trembling as if she was afraid something from the reflection might suddenly jump out and startle her. But the image she saw looked as undisturbed as the room she inhabited had been before her curiosity had led her there. She walked with the mirror over to the desk and laid it, face down, upon it.

Her heart started to calm as soon as she did so and she looked back around the room and its odd belongings. Aside from the mirror, however, it brought a sense of peace. And she knew if she could just clean the windows that it would be quite welcoming in compare to the Slytherin Commons. "And Lily could come here too!" she thought excitedly but something inside her squashed the thought immediately and the corner of her thoughts whispered, "Don't be so hasty…" She was taken aback by this reaction but after a moment pinned it to the fact that it was because the room was so dirty. So she decided she would clean it first then work from there. She nodded to herself, taking one last look at it and starting back down the ladder steps. Emilia decided that she would look for the way back to the main part of the castle and carefully keep track in her memory how to get back to the room.

It seemed that she traveled down the stairs much faster than the ascent had been but she shrugged her shoulders and looked both ways trying to remember which direction she had approached from. She couldn't so with a shrug she chose to go left and hoped it might spit her back into the main part of the castle.

Quite a while later she had yet to find the main area. She was mildly upset at the fact especially when she would pass a window and the sun started to show it was descending. Her stomach grumbled a little and she realized she had definitely missed lunch. She cursed her own curiosity as her stomach triggered memories of delicious foods that would probably be served for dinner. Halloween was just around the corner and so they had been seeing a few different kinds of pies for dessert each night. There was an apple one she especially liked…

"Ergh," she groaned, rubbing her face hard before turning down another hallway hoping to hit the stairs this way. When she passed the same statue she had come across three times before she almost cried out loud and was still debating on whether it would help when she heard the scuff of shoes that weren't hers. She paused, concentrating all her hearing capabilities to the shoes and she could hear them getting further away.

"Wait!" she called after them and ran the way she thought she had heard them go off in. Stopping every few feet to hear, they continued to move away from her. She sighed in irritation as she threw herself around a corner and into something causing her to fall hard on her butt. She looked up about ready to curse a suit of armor or something and was surprised to be looking up into James Potter's face.

* * *

_Aren't you proud of me? Two chapters in just a couple days! How exciting, right? I hope you think so. It is so crazy to think that school is almost out for the Christmas Holidays! /happy dance/_

_Anyway, just a forewarning, I will be bringing ol' Voldy pants into this at some point (not too big a part just yet) but seeing as I haven't found any information regarding when his looks went... snake-like, I'm going to go with him still being a good-looking and charismatic man, at least at the start. Okay.  
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_Shout outs!  
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_Review by HarryPotterLover2!  
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_And a new Favorite- SnOw-CoVeReD-AnGeL  
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_Thanks for reading!  
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_CB  
_


	11. Cousins

_Chapter 11: Cousins_

"Ho there, Emilia. What are you doing up here?" James asked reaching down to help her up. She grasped his hand and let him stand her up revealing Sirius behind him. Her nose twitched slightly having disturbed some dust when she fell as she looked past them down the hall, her brow furrowed.

"I could ask you the same question," she said still distracted by how far away the footsteps she heard were on how James and Sirius stood before her now.

The two dark haired boys glanced at one another furtively but she missed it as Sirius stuffed a bit of parchment into his back pocket. "You asking that makes me believe you must have gotten lost," he said walking over to her and slinging an arm around her shoulder. She looked at him darkly before stepping neatly out of his arm, James snickering.

"You mean to say you two aren't lost?" she asked, a little pride cooling her tone.

"For goodness sake, Emi, don't be mad. We'll show you the way back to the stairs," Sirius said the teasing look fading as he motioned with a thumb back the way she had just come. She wasn't about to tell them she had just come running from that direction and as James passed her to walk beside Sirius she cast a wary look over her shoulder. She shivered, choosing to forget the disembodied footsteps and followed the two Gryffindors.

Even after walking for half an hour didn't bring them back to the stairs and Emilia wondered if they were just as lost as she was but, being male, refused to admit to such a problem. She also regretted scorning Sirius' arm about her shoulders for by now, she was getting cold and would have given anything to be walking closer to them and the possible heat but she continued to walk silently behind them as they talked back and forth to one another about Quidditch and the upcoming match and the following Christmas holiday. She liked Quidditch and her father had taught her everything there was to know about the sport but she felt an outsider in this conversation as it spoke of the Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry that had been years in making and living. Just another reminder that she was in a House she felt she had no reason being in.

When talk turned to their plans for Christmas, Sirius looked back at her.

"What are you doing for the holiday, Emilia?" he asked and James moved sideways a bit as if to offer a spot next to them.

She hesitated but only a moment before picking up her pace to walk alongside them. It was warmer.

"Er, I plan to go home. My dad misses me something fierce, apparently," she said lightly, thoughts of Lewis bringing a smile to her face. "How about you two?"

"I am going home as well and I am in the middle of asking my mum if Sirius can come as well," James said gesturing to her other side. Her brow furrowed as she looked up at Sirius.

"Why won't you go home to visit your family?" she asked, not able to grasp the idea that he wouldn't miss his own family in the least.

The boy grinned crookedly at her with a shrug of his shoulder. "Mum doesn't much care whether I come home or not. I guess she's embarrassed at being the mum of a Gryffindor," he barked a laugh and she turned to see James grinning as well.

"What do you mean?" Emilia pressed. "Why is it a bad thing you're in Gryffindor?"

His smile faded a little, his expression unreadable.

"My whole family has been in Slytherin until me. You know Narcissa right?" he asked looking sideways at her. She nodded and he continued. "She's a cousin of mine. Didn't bring any dishonor on the family so she is still welcome for holidays."

She looked at him in mild disbelief. Narcissa was related to him? She couldn't see the family resemblance nor did she want to, she decided. She shuffled this tidbit of information to the farthest reaches of her mind, not wanting to associate the two. She ran into him slightly, her face cast down. "Well, if James' family is too unaccommodating, I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind having you come home with us," she said softly, feeling her face warm a little at the audacity of her offer. Looking up at him, she saw him smiling at her and she felt, suddenly, that she was being misunderstood. "It's just that, there are only the two of us, you see! Meaning there is plenty of space and…" she started to ramble as the two boys laughed openly and Sirius, again, put an arm on her shoulders.

"James asking his mum is really just a formality. She'll take in any stray dog, right James?" he asked, looking over her head at his bespectacled friend. James agreed still laughing, probably at her expression, and Sirius squeezed her gently. "But thanks, Emi," he said smiling sincerely at her. She had almost attacked them for laughing but seeing his expression the passion died down and she ended up blushing more, letting her eyes drop to their feet.

"No problem," she mumbled and she remained silent as James and Sirius continued to talk of their plans, Sirius' arm still around her shoulders.

She practically ran to the end of the hallway when she finally saw the lit chamber with the moving stairs. She took a deep breath of appreciation before turning brightly to her Gryffindor friends. Sirius was smiling charmingly as James grinned at her.

"Well, Miss Pendragon, how does it feel to be back in the main part of the castle?" he asked and pushing his shoulder easily she rolled her eyes before turning to walk to the nearest staircase. The followed behind her and soon enough they made it to the main hallway of the castle, sounds of dinner beckoning from the end of the hallway. Turning her face back to them she waved. "I guess I will see you later," she said before walking quickly into the Great Hall. From the looks of it, most had almost finished their dinner and dessert was sure to be following soon. She jogged slightly to the Slytherin table and down its length toward the end closest to the staff table. She saw Severus sitting next to Lucius in deep conversation and she crinkled her nose at the prospect choosing a seat at the very end of the table. This put her in the seat across from Narcissa, which she didn't notice until she had already taken her seat.

She looked at her covertly and still couldn't see how the two could possibly be cousins despite their last names being the same. Emilia was able to grab a roll before the dinner disappeared and was replaced by desserts. Her heart warmed when she saw the pie directly in front of her was the apple pie with the crisp on top.

After she was finished eating and the mass of students started to make their way out of the Great Hall and toward their dormitories, she squeaked in surprise when an arm wrapped about her waist and a head of red hair leaned closer to her.

"Where have you been all day?" Lily asked in exasperation. "I saw you come in just before Sirius and James and they wouldn't tell me if you had been with them unless I agreed to a date with James."

Emilia laughed good naturedly and wrapped her arm about her friend's shoulders. "I was just exploring the castle and ran into them on my way down to dinner so we all walked together," she explained, not looking at Lily directly because of the feeling of disbelief she could feel coming from the Muggle-born. "Anyhow, I am safe now so no worries," she said warmly squeezing Lily's shoulders. "Time for bed now, though. We have to be up early to watch the Quidditch match!" she said, walking toward the dungeons. Lily looked full of questions but allowed her friend to go with a wave and goodnight.

Severus, however, caught up with her in a blink and grasped her wrist tightly. "Where were you?" he asked tensely, and she looked at him curiously at his concern before he elaborated. "Lily was really worried." She blinked before shrugging slightly, shaking his hand off her wrist.

"I already told Lily that I was exploring the castle. It just took a bit longer than I thought it would."

"Because you got lost?" he asked quickly. She glared a little at him and he laughed through his nose. "That's what I thought."

"Ah shove off, Sev," Emilia said walking in to the common room on someone else's breath.

"Just look out for snakes, little bird," he said airily before leaving her side and heading in to the boy's dormitories. She bit back a sigh as she slipped on to the love seat in front of the fire. Her thoughts briefly turned to the room she had discovered in the tower earlier in the day and smiled at the irony of Severus' words before dozing off where she sat.

* * *

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	12. Quidditch and White Light

Chapter 12: Quidditch and White Light

Emilia jerked awake and sat up quickly looking to the side she had just been lying against, the warmth quickly evaporating from her right side. Lucius sat there with the content smile one might see on a cat after catching a mouse. She scurried up in alarm and around the couch backing up toward the girl's dorms. He sat up stretching.

"You woke just in time! I was about to have to break your relationship with sleep seeing as I need to get to the Quidditch field," he said with a sly smile that she fairly wilted under before he left for the boy's dorms. After he left, Emilia's mind registered his words.

"Quidditch! Lily!" she exclaimed rushing up the stairs into her dorm and throwing her clothes about looking for something warm to wear.

She was sure whatever she had thrown on didn't match but she could care less, Lucius being in the back of her mind in her rush to make sure they didn't meet up in the common and allow him to insist they go to the fields together.

She ran head long down the stairs into the commons wrapping her green and silver scarf about her neck and ran into something rather solid. The force took them both out and it took a moment for Emilia to be able to shake off the blow and look down at what she lay on top of. Elliot was there rubbing the back of his head and looking at her with raised eyebrows. "Good morning, Emilia," he said a small smirk forming on his lips as she shot up from the floor.

"Sorry, Elliot!" she stammered quickly and made a break for it.

"Wait, Emilia!" he called after her but she had already melted through the wall and moved swiftly out of the dungeons, pretending she hadn't heard him.

The Great Hall had already emptied and Emilia's stomach grumbled unhappily but with a sigh she turned to trudge out to the Quidditch field, her heart growing a little lighter with each step outside. She could hear the roar of the students and she quickly scurried up into the stands looking for the Gryffindor crowd.

When her Slytherin garbed self started to wade through the Gryffindor crowd, a few whispers went about her ears but she ignored them. 'I am a Gryffindor,' she thought to herself, 'at least at heart.' She smiled at the thought and it broadened when she spotted a tall, rather gangly looking 1st year with light brown hair. Jumping over to him, she wrapped an arm about his shoulders bringing him down to her height briefly before letting him go.

"Hey Remus!" she chirped. He looked startled at first before he smiled warmly at her.

"Good morning, Emilia."

"Where is Lily?" she asked looking for her auburn haired friend. She heard him chuckle and she looked at him curiously to see he was standing beside James and Sirius and that other boy… oh yeah, Peter. Realizing that James was there brought forth a small pout. Apparently she couldn't expect to stand beside Lily and Remus. The black haired boy looked thoroughly put out and she had a feeling he and Lily must have had a run in not too long before her appearance.

She looked back up at Remus who nodded covertly in the way Lily had gone. She grinned with a shake of her head and spun about to go to Lily, her silver sheet of hair waving freely behind her. Emilia finally found Lily at the very front of the crowd and noticed that she stood on the border of Slytherin and Gryffindor, Severus standing beside her. She smiled brightly and slipped her hands over Lily's eyes.

"Guess who?" she trilled and Lily laughed calling her name and turning about to hug her. "Alright, what have I missed?" she asked as she looked to the pitch.

"They just explained the rules," Lily said, a frown on her lips as she looked at the two teams intently, "I didn't understand a thing they said." Severus smirked at her confession and Emilia laughed assuring her that she would explain everything.

The game was actually relatively quick, leaving Emilia grumbling with the rest of the Gryffindors after the Slytherin's seeker had caught the Snitch. She was more upset at the fact that she knew the seeker…it was Elliot Mosley. Before Emilia could ask if she could spend more time with Lily, she was pulled along with her fellow Slytherins.

"Ack! Lily! Avenge me...!" she cried dramatically and Lily gave her one of her long suffering smiles, with a shake of her head, and walked away with the Gryffindors. She tripped a few times in the throng of silver and green clad fans and almost lost her footing altogether before someone caught her elbow. Emilia's brow eyes looked up quickly and she felt relief wash through her.

"There you are, Sev," she said gratefully, standing closer to him as they were pulled along with the tide that was swiftly disappearing into the dungeons.

He sighed slightly annoyed. "You are useless, you can't even stay safe for a few minutes," he complained. She looked up at him a little hurt by his words and she jerked her arm from his hand.

"I never asked you to worry about me," she said in a small voice and she missed the brief shadow of apology in his face before they were in the commons and she shied away from the volume of the celebrating Slytherins. She tried to escape into the dorms but there were too many bodies to wade through—something she didn't realize until she was entirely lost from Severus' side and among a rather thick grouping of older guys. Her heart was hammering, and her nerves were beginning to fray. She felt like the bird Sev was always accusing her of being and she was surrounded by asps.

She nearly shrieked when someone grasped her arm and she looked up into the strange face of who she vaguely recalled was one of the Beaters on their Quidditch team. She felt a shiver of fear roll through her, as she felt more than saw the latent evil within. She fought to make him let her go but this only caused him to grab her other arm, kneeling in front of her. "Hey it's okay," he tried to soothe through the noise of the room. She couldn't understand what was happening. What she felt and what he conveyed through his voice were two completely different things, and she was starting to hyperventilate. "It's Emilia Pendragon, isn't it?" he asked, again gently as if she could take flight if she didn't calm down. She hiccupped as she nodded and she leapt again when one of his hands cradled her head carefully as he seemed to admire her hair. He smiled and it was disarming, "Everyone has heard about the strangely beautiful girl, even though she is just a first year," he elaborated, but she hardly heard him as the press of the bodies became too much and she felt something pulse within her and she was lost in light.

Her brown eyes snapped open and she looked about her slowly. She sighed, screwing her eyes shut. She was in the infirmary…again. She ground her palms into her eyes before sitting up and looking around her. The window to her left showed that it was early afternoon but with her previous experience, she was willing to bet that it was not the same day as the Quidditch match.

Her conclusions were confirmed when Madam Pomfrey showed up from behind the curtain and said it was about time she woke up whilst handing her a draught of pumpkin juice. Emilia thanked her quietly before drinking the cup entirely. It felt good on her throat that felt raw as if she had screamed for a very long time.

"How long this time?" she croaked and even the strict Madam Pomfrey chuckled with a shake of her head.

"Only a day this time," she smiled down at the half Veela. "Why not dry for just a couple hours next time?" she suggested and Emilia shrugged in exasperation at herself. The nurse gave her a spare change of clothes. "Get dressed quickly and I will take up to Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Emilia asked, with a furrowed brow.

Madam Pomfrey didn't respond as she clicked briskly away leaving her to dress and deep in thought.

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_Casidhe here! Boy has it been a long time or what? I apologize for the shortness of this chapter but I am working on building my momentum again. I have a few stories going on, two others on this site and even one of fictionpress called Frost Whispers if anyone is interested in reading non-fanfic material from me. _

_Honestly, I am curious to hear what you guys think of future love triangles and stuff. I mean, they are only 11 currently and I mean to keep it appropriate to their age levels (at least as far as my opinion goes, baha). Let me know what you think! Seriously. It encourages me to write more for you.  
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_It would seem I have only received one new Review but I would like to thank Pirayan01 very much for taking the time to give it!  
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_C.B.  
_


	13. Dumbledore

_Chapter 13: Dumbledore_

After a time, Emilia stopped trying to fathom why she was going to pay a visit to Dumbledore and had instead turned her thoughts back to the fact that it had been a mere day after her entry into the infirmary. She smiled to herself that she hadn't completely wasted her Sunday by sleeping through it and hoped that whatever the Headmaster had to say would be quick so she could seek out Lily or maybe Remus this time…? She hadn't spent hardly any time with him since the first of the school year and she felt a little guilty—especially since she had spent more time with James and Sirius (of course, she hadn't planned those times).

With Madam Pomfrey leading the way, the young half-Veela arrived quickly at the entry to Dumbledore's office. She hadn't gotten lost but then again she knew she wouldn't be able to quickly find her way back either and she rolled her eyes at her self for being so useless in the ways of navigating.

"Honeydukes," Madam Pomfrey announced to the gargoyle that guarded the staircase. The stone sprang to life, which magic delighted Emilia, and the nurse gestured for her to enter. She nodded as she passed the woman and started up the stairs. Hearing the shift of stone, she looked behind her to see the door she had just walked through was closed and Madam Pomfrey hadn't followed. She swallowed suddenly nervous before turning back to the spiraling staircase and moving upward once more.

The staircase ended just in time as Emilia felt her silver head start to spin and she took a moment on the landing to regain her sense of equilibrium such as it was. She didn't know where to let her eyes explore first.

There were shelves of books everywhere along with picture frames with the smiling, winking and talking faces of former headmasters and other important people to Dumbledore. High atop one shelf sat the mysterious Sorting Hat and she couldn't help but toss it a look of dislike. It twitched as if it felt her gaze but it didn't speak. She pursed her lips before tearing her gaze away and gasping in awe.

Emilia walked slowly across the flagstones up to the pedestal upon which perched a phoenix. It looked to have just been reborn a day or so prior and it fixed her with a curious, beady black eye.

"Hi," she said softly, stopping just a foot from where it rested. It looked at her a moment longer before it inclined its beaked head slightly as if to acknowledge her greeting. She smiled brightly before willing herself to look away and took in a telescope further into the room. It was also then when she finally looked at the headmaster's desk and she saw his white head bowed over some parchment and she heard the distinct _scritch-scratch_ of the quill he was using.

She approached timidly biting her lip and stopping just behind the chair that sat before the large, beautiful mahogany desk that had papers strewn about in an orderly fashion along with a couple books and some odd fragments and pieces of craftsmanship. He dotted a period and then looked up at her over his half-moon spectacles, his clear blue eyes shining at her.

"Miss Pendragon, I am glad to see that you are well," he said, the end of his sentence ending in an upward swing as though he were questioning the statement.

"Yes, very well, sir. I was only in Madam Pomfrey's care for one day this time. Thank you," she added a little mechanically having almost forgotten the manners. "And you are well too, Professor Dumbledore?" she inquired with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Yes, yes. Quite well," he assured before gesturing to the comfy chair beside her and she plopped down onto it obediently. "And how are your classes coming along, Miss Pendragon?" he asked with seemingly genuine interest.

"Oh, they are good. Though I don't believe I shall ever quite live up to Professor Slughorn's expectations of me," she admitted referring to her Potions class. She grinned sheepishly at the older gentleman remembering her draught of Living Death that was more alive than dead… it took some rather impressive wand work from the Slytherin house head to "spare" the whole class. Dumbledore chuckled at her admonition and she was sure that Slughorn had reported the incident to him. There was a bit of silence afterward that started to make Emilia feel squirmy though the headmaster wasn't looking directly at her.

"Is that all professor?" she asked knowing there was something else he wanted to say or ask but having no clue as to what.

He looked at her keenly and she waited with a worm on her tongue as she twisted her fingers together in her lap. He pursed his lips, looking down at the parchment he had been writing upon before looking back at him again.

"Miss Pendragon," he began, hesitating once more before fixing her brown eyes with his blue. "Do you remember why you were in the infirmary this time?" he asked.

Emilia blinked rapidly a couple times before she felt herself relax back into the chair, looking sightlessly at the table as she thought back to what had happened the morning before. She remembered having awoken to Lucius' face, running full on into Elliot, the loss Gryffindor had suffered followed by the trip back to the commons in the dungeons. She recalled her short exchange with Severus about her aptitude towards being a damsel in distress, then the noise and closeness of the common room. The upper classman, Slytherin Quidditch team Beater and how he had known her name, her reputation for proceeding her, his gentle hand on her silvery blond hair, the noise of the common room again and her faint.

She had fainted? No. That couldn't have been it. Didn't one's vision usually go black not white? Her brow furrowed over her doe brown eyes and she could feel Dumbledore's gaze on her face as she thought as hard as she could. She could remember, vaguely, a cry of alarm and pain just before she had lost consciousness and she suddenly looked up at Dumbledore, half rising from her seat in terror.

"Dumbledore, the boy…!" she exclaimed and he raised both his hands in a placating gesture.

"He's fine, he's fine," he reassured her and she slumped back into the chair, "he'll be blind for a few days more but it's nothing that Madam Pomfrey cannot handle," which further information forced her up from her chair again.

"Blind!? What on earth happened?" she asked in a panic. Sure, she had felt some sort of ill will from the Beater, but she hadn't been in a mind set to hurt him.

"Peppermint?" Dumbledore asked, holding a small glass bowl out to her. Emilia looked from him to the mints incredulously before her hand jerked up to take one and she sat back down, slowly, again in the chair and methodically unwrapped the candy before putting it in her mouth.

"Now, your father wrote to me at the beginning of the school year, Miss Pendragon, informing me of your rather… strong innate powers. Lewis informs me that from the age of 3 your happiness was already triggering items to levitate, your anger for water to boil and random fires to light," he looked slightly amused at this, "and your sadness controlled the very weather above your own head." Emilia remembered those early years with a slight flush of embarrassment. She had suffered many a sorrowful event with a personalized rain cloud over head, and her mother had always towel dried her hair for her. Emilia remembered how Zandria's hands would shake more than necessary and how a couple times the young girl had realized that her mother had been trying to stifle her laughter at her young daughter's predicament.

The half-Veela absently spun Zandria's ring around her thumb where she had worn it every day since her father had sent it to her. She suddenly missed her mother more keenly than she had in the last two or so years.

"What I am leading to," Dumbledore said suddenly, jolting Emilia out of her musings, "is that the same power that caused those things as a toddler is surfacing once more," he elaborated, all traces of humor gone as he looked at her soberly.

"How do I stop it?" she asked in a small voice.

The wizard sighed heavily as he stood from his chair behind the desk and walked in front of the mahogany to lean back against it and look at her in the comfy chair. "I am afraid there is nothing to _stop_ but rather something that you must learn to_ control_."

Her shoulders sagged as she looked at the fiery gem on her finger. She felt a long-fingered hand upon her head, and she leaned slightly forward into it.

"Most of the control will come with time and maturity, I'm afraid, but there are little things that you can do so that it doesn't escape your conscious control," he went on to explain and she looked up at him dubiously hopeful. He smiled warmly down at her upturned face and she could see the melancholy there. "One. You should probably try to avoid such tight places as your common room whilst they celebrate their victories," he said with a small smile, "And you will need to gain a tighter hold on your emotions seeing as those are what seems to trigger your powers most," he continued.

She nodded once as she looked away. "Did I hurt anyone else?" she asked after a time.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful as though he were debating on whether to tell her or not. "I believe young Severus saw what happened but he was far enough from you that it merely left a blue after image on his eyelids for an hour or so," he admitted.

An hour? She looked stricken before dropping her face into her hand. Dumbledore looked at her then with an acute sadness before he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him warily. "You look so much like your mother did," he said unexpectedly and she froze momentarily before nodding. "And might I say it is about time you went to visit Hagrid again?" Her jaw tightened slightly but her eyes didn't look so hurt with the suggestion and she nodded again before standing up and walking over to the staircase.

Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that Dumbledore had returned to sit at his desk and continued to push his quill across the parchment. She pushed some hair behind her ear and pursed her lips turning to head down the staircase, her mind full of thoughts of Hagrid, Zandria and the fear of herself.

* * *

_Casidhe here._

_So I admit this chapter may have been a little boring but it had to happen, right?_

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_Pirayan01- I hope this answered your question a little bit as far as her powers are concerned. I don't think I have given her any particular "powers" from her Veela heritage aside from her dazzling good looks which of course will only increase as she gets older. :)_

_ICan'tThinkOfACleverUsername- I apologize for not getting this update out sooner. I am working on a couple of projects currently and am trying to not favor any one in particular but it's hard when the paces of the writing are so different from piece to piece. XD_

Another note from me personally... I am quite impressed with myself for being on Chapter 13 and still having them in the first term of their first year at Hogwarts! I cannot express how much I want to speed up and get to the older years but if I were to do that... it would be even more poorly written and I cannot allow that. 

_I hope you keep reading!_

_CB_


	14. Snogging and Visiting

Chapter 14: Snogging and Visiting

Emilia made her slow, thoughtful way out of the labyrinthine halls of Hogwarts away from Dumbledore and the disturbing news of her sudden power surge that had hospitalized the Beater (whose name she couldn't recall) and also had blinded Severus, her one sort of friend in Slytherin, for an hour. She had a feeling she would probably have to apologize to the sullen expression wearing boy at some point but now was not that point. She needed to spend time with Hagrid.

The half-Veela made it to the main hall after a time and was heading straight for the large front doors when she heard her name called across the hall. Her brown eyes lifted to search for the voice's owner already knowing who it was and welcoming the sound.

Remus Lupin smiled down at her as he walked closer and she noted the heavy coat he was wearing along with the Gryffindor colors scarf. His light brown hair looked disheveled as always but his brown eyes were no less warm. "It's good to see you up and about after Severus told Lily what had happened," he greeted, "He was able to keep her from worrying too much, though, letting her know what Dumbledore had told him," he continued lightly.

"And what did Dumbledore tell Severus?" she asked, a small panic breaking her voice—she didn't want Lily to think her a monster… Remus' eyes flashed to her expression worriedly before looking up at the ceiling.

"Just something along the lines of how this sometimes happens to young witches and wizards whom haven't fully come into their powers as of yet," he said, his voice soothing and Emilia let go of a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding but before he could ask her why her reaction was thus, she changed topics content with what Dumbledore had told Sev to tell their mutual friend.

"Why are you wearing such a heavy coat?"

"Have you not seen the weather?" Remus returned with a raised brow. When Emilia shook her head, he glanced toward the windows pointedly and she looked over her shoulders out of them, surprised she hadn't noticed the outside world before. She grimaced before turning her face back to the Gryffindor who chuckled softly. "You don't like the snow."

She shook her head in the affirmative before she glanced down at her skirt and light button up shirt. "I should probably change before going outside then," she mumbled before turning morosely toward the dungeons.

"Why are you going outside?" he asked easily keeping stride beside her.

"I want to go visit with Hagrid," she said. When he said "ah" softly in response she looked up at him. "And why were you going outside?"

He looked thoughtfully at the ceiling before meeting her brown gaze with his. "I was just going to go for a walk… but if you don't mind my company as well, I would like to come and get to know Hagrid a little better," he said with his gentle smile. She returned it, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"I'd like that," she said.

They had reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room and Emilia looked uncomfortably at Remus. "Are you supposed to be down here?" He shrugged.

"Don't worry, I will just wait out here for you," he said looking dubiously at the sconces that burned brightly with green flames.

"I won't be long," she said and he nodded as she spoke the password and walked through the wall. She stutter stepped when she saw Elliot sitting on the couch in front of the fire place snogging with some other Slytherin girl she had remembered seeing in her classes meaning said girl was a first year like herself. Emilia blushed bright red before turning on her heel and walking back out of the common room.

"You weren't kidding," Remus began but then looking at her his expression turned confused. "You are still wearing the same thing- "

"I know but I just figured, why get another outfit all dirty?" she asked as she brushed past him and up the stairs.

He followed a step behind her and waited a few moments before pointing out what he could only barely register in the previously greenish glow. "Your cheeks are red, Emi," he said with curiosity.

She cursed the stutter but she managed, "I-I have no idea w-what you're talking about, Remus," and she continued walking briskly toward the front doors of the castle hoping that if she walked briskly enough her body temperature would rise enough to keep her warm until they reached Hagrid's. As they reached the front doors, however, and Emilia was opening the door, she felt a warm weight on her shoulders and she looked back at Remus.

He had taken his coat off revealing a rather thick sweater underneath and he looked a little shy but didn't say anything as he passed by her and walked out of the door first. She looked after him for a moment, the snow swirling in through the door. When the young boy realized she wasn't there with him, he turned about to look at her and her heart thumped. She was about to puzzle it out when she heard a harsh bark behind her and looking back she saw the Hogwarts' caretaker coming toward her shaking his fist.

She slipped quickly out with a squeak and closed the door behind her before thrusting her arms into the coat sleeves and buttoning it up as she scrambled down the steps amazingly not losing her footing on the icy stairs. "Let's go!" she exclaimed as she passed Remus, grasping the sleeve of his sweater and pulling him to run after her. They ran, slipping and sliding all the way and both of their embarrassment of the past few minutes melted away as they laughed at the ridiculousness of their trek down the small hill to Hagrid's front door, which they proceeded to slam into because of the momentum at their last meet with ice.

It wasn't two seconds after before they heard Hagrid's big feet tromping to the door and Fang's barking. They tried to stand up straight when his grizzly bearded face appeared at the doorway but their laughter hadn't quit just yet. Hagrid smiled as he recognized Emilia.

"Emilia! It's great ter see ya," he boomed ushering the two gasping youths into his cabin. Fang lumbered over and started to lick Emilia's face and she was finally able to wrench her body into a more upright position.

"Ah! Fang!" Emilia laughed pushing the massive dog away from her face before scratching him behind the ears and looking up rather red-faced at the half-Giant. "How are you, Hagrid?" she asked breathlessly as he watched the two kids for a little longer before shuffling over to the tea pot that had just begun to whistle.

"I've bin well enough, thank ya very much. Now whose yer friend?" he asked gesturing with his trash can lid sized hand.

"This is Remus Lupin," she said touching her friend's arm. "Remus, meet Rubeus Hagrid, Game Keeper of Hogwarts," she introduced before bowing her silvery head to give Fang's head a kiss before scratching behind his ears a little more.

"Nice ter meet ya, Remus," Hagrid said, reaching his hand out to grasp the hand Remus had offered and shaking his whole arm.

"And you, Hagrid," Remus responded following Emilia's lead.

The giant's eyes crinkled in a smile as he poured tea for each of them. "So why did ya pick terday of all days to come ter see me?" Hagrid asked looking at Emilia before taking a swig of his tea.

Emilia looked down at the overly large mug between her hands, feeling the heat seep into her hands, wondering if she should tell him what had happened. "You can tell me," he said gently tapping her head with one of his fingers. Looking up at him and his beetle black eyes, she smiled tightly before relating the events of the last Saturday after the Quidditch match. She stopped suddenly before telling them both what Dumbledore had said of her above average powers—even by advanced wizarding measures.

"Eh, your magic is probably just learning ter settle. It tikes some a little longer than others," Hagrid said with a confident nod before finishing his tea and offering them some biscuits which Emilia politely declined, her father's related experiences with the half-giants hard scones her only basis. Remus took one however and she stifled a smile behind her mug when he gnawed at it.

Hagrid then started talking about dragons, having just finished reading a book about Hungarian Horntails and he debated the pros and cons of the Hungarian compared to the Chinese Fireball while Remus tried to eat his biscuit and Emilia tried not to laugh while petting Fang who had taken up position leaning against her legs that dangled from the tall chair.

A few hours later, she felt completely relaxed and felt that she could take on the rest of the school week. Remus had slipped the biscuit to Fang while Hagrid had been rummaging for a picture of some dragons that a friend of his had taken a few months earlier. "Well, I'd say it's about time fer us to be getting' up ter dinner," Hagrid announced, standing from the table and throwing his hairy coat onto his arms and gesturing for the two kids to do the same, Remus having taken off the overly large sweater just an hour into the visit. Once they were as bundled as they were going to get, they walked out into the snowy world, the snow having started to fall again after a mere hour of reprieve.

The young half-Veela had a sudden chill as soon as Hagrid closed the door to his hut and she glanced slowly over her shoulder toward the forest. She felt a vague sense of déjà vu as her gaze turned back to land on Remus who had been smiling at her but at her expression it started to fade into concern.

"Hagrid," she said her voice cracking as she looked up at him and his gaze was serious as it trained on the forest for a moment before he picked her up without a word. "Keep up, Remus," he said tightly and though the young boy swallowed hard he nodded with determined eyes looking briefly at the clouded sky before taking a hold of the back of Hagrid's jacket so he could stay close and use Hagrid as a make-shift snow plow to make the travel a little easier on him.

The darkness under the trees started to swirl with movement and Hagrid started to run.

* * *

_Hey all! So, I updated my other two stories so I felt I couldn't leave this one out but I have already gotten 5 new reviews on one of those that I updated yesterday so, I daresay, that story will be getting priority if people don't start reviewing for this story... sniff. No reviews for my last chapter._

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_And no new followers... ah well. It is kind of neat that I have 13 of each currently. But this is my longer story thus far so it seems sad that it only has 13 reviews while my Spirited Away fanfic has 46 reviews... and it is on it's 9th chapter... just a thought._

_Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And what's this? Mongrels? Yeah, I didn't forget about them. Mwahahaha._

_Casidhe_


	15. Return of the Mongrels, Remedial Potions

_Chapter 15: Return of the Mongrels and Remedial Potions_

Sure enough, the howls and shrieks that had finally faded from Emilia's nightmares sounded anew and she clung tightly to Hagrid's coat keeping her eyes trained on Remus' light brown head, praying that his steps wouldn't falter. However, just like in her dream, he stumbled but this time into almost waist deep snow at the same time as the first mongrel separated itself from the darkness, its black wings unfurling and its scaled hands reaching for Remus.

"No!" she screamed somehow scrambling out of Hagrid's grasp and falling down into the snow. The mongrel stopped its reaching toward Remus for a moment as it watched her tumble to the ground before continuing its path toward Remus who was scrabbling to stand up so he could then dive for his wand that had fallen away from him and into the snow just as a scaled claw swiped at the air where he had been just moments before.

The world slowed around her as the mongrel took its second swipe at Remus, three more mongrels appearing just behind it in the growing gloom of night. Emilia could feel the scream tear through her throat as she launched herself between Remus who had finally been able to locate his wand and the mongrel that howled lowly at having been evaded once.

Then, she started to glow. It was faint at first, starting from the center point of her forehead before spreading rapidly to engulf her, Remus shading his eyes from the view and Hagrid yelling for them to get down. She felt something tug at the coat over her chest in a jerking manner before the shrieks of the mongrels pierced through her own scream and she felt Remus pull her back toward him, causing them to fall into the snow as a volley of charms and spells left the wizards' wands that stood on the steps of the castle. Emilia saw the after image of the mongrel that had been on the attack at the same time as she saw it lying in the snow at their feet, apparently stunned and the other mongrels took off back into the forest.

Emilia felt frozen to the spot while Remus slipped out from under her and pulled her up to her feet by lifting under her arms. The wind caused the shreds of the front of the coat to flap feverishly and her brown eyes trained horrified on the mongrel at their feet.

"Mr. Lupin, Miss Pendragon, get away from there," called an exasperated Professor McGonagall.

"Come, Emi," Remus said in a strangely steady voice as he wrapped an arm about her and pulled her away and toward the castle, finally making it so Emilia had to look away from the black body. A few of the other teachers that had happened upon them at the moment went down to retrieve the body, led by the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and McGonagall swept the two students into the Main Hall with Hagrid looking sheepish beside them.

"Hagrid tells me that had you not jumped down and thrown yourself between the mongrel and Mr. Lupin then we would have a more serious case on our hands than a destroyed coat," McGonagall said as she gestured to the front of Remus' coat which Emilia was wearing and its evident tatters.

"I'm sorry about your coat, Remus," Emilia said softly looking up at him fearful that he would be angry. He simply smiled that gentle smile of his and ruffled her fringe.

"Don't worry about it. What is important is that you are safe," Remus replied. Emilia blushed slightly before the professor cleared her throat.

"As such, for such a show of bravery though it pains me that I cannot give the points to my own house, 40 points for Slytherin for your quick acting and brave, though albeit foolish, action," Professor McGonagall announced causing Emilia to look up at her in awe, her eyes bright. The strict woman's lips betrayed a slight smile as she said, "You would have made a fine, Gryffindor, Miss Pendragon."

"Thank you, professor," Emilia managed before McGonagall turned on Hagrid and started scolding him for having Emilia at his cabin after dark and with a strange sort of peace, the young half-Veela realized that this would probably be the never ending argument that both involved her and excluded her opinion and would follow her throughout her time at Hogwarts.

The double doors opened and Remus ushered Emilia quickly into the Great Hall but didn't quite make it before Emilia cast a look over her shoulder and saw that the professors were levitating the mongrel in through the door with them, muttering something about research and she was left to shiver in disgust and fear.

It appeared that the main course had just begun and reaching the end of the Gryffindor table, Emilia pursed her lips, slipping the coat from her shoulders and giving it back to Remus with another apologetic look. He received it and after briefly squeezing her shoulder, walked to sit with James and Sirius who were talking animatedly about something.

McGonagall's words about her having the makings of a great Gryffindor both buoyed her spirits and broke her heart that she would never be completely welcome at the House Table, never be allowed to enter the common rooms said to have the warm colored décor and normal, orange and yellow flamed fires. She shivered slightly as she took at seat at the very end of the Slytherin table, being expressly careful not to look at Elliot who was sitting by the first year he had been snogging earlier that afternoon and even avoiding the gaze of Severus who had chosen to sit beside the nuisance of a prefect who of course wasn't shy at all to let her noticed that he was looking at her now and again.

Of course her chosen solitude didn't help distract from the fact that she had just come face to face with yet another mongrel and she had also played firefly to fend off the creature's attack. 'But I didn't faint this time,' she thought to herself, the embers of her curiosity stirring familiarly within her.

She picked absently at her food and was startled by Professor Slughorn, the House Head, appearing at her elbow. "Now, now, Miss Pendragon. You must keep up your strength. No more of that picking at your food nonsense. I want you to make sure you are having balanced meals, you know. Healthy eating habits help those who are aiming to be the best students," he said cheerily, patting her on the back before moving on down the table. She looked after him with a look of utter bewilderment before shaking her head and taking a few bites of the chicken and salad that lay on her plate before taking a careful drink of the pumpkin juice.

Emilia grew tired quickly and though she was normally not one to skip out on dessert she couldn't bring herself to continue lifting the forks and spoons to her lips and thus, wiping her mouth, stepped away from the table and made her way out of the Great Hall. She could feel eyes on her back and she noted that she was the only one leaving at that given moment. She sighed wondering how many of the students had heard about the unfortunate Slytherin celebration after the Quidditch match and the unfortunate events that transpired.

Keeping her shoulders square, the silver-haired girl continued her pathway and soon found herself heading toward the dungeons but stopped at the top of the stairs. She shivered at the thought of sleeping under the fishes of the lake and other creatures that she was sure infested its waters and she asked the same question she had asked herself many times since slipping off of the sorting stool. "Why Slytherin?"

"Why not Slytherin, first year?" The voice of the Bloody Baron startled her and she slipped down a step before catching the banister and clutching at her heart.

"Blimey…" she gasped in exasperation as she looked up at the house ghost.

There was a faint smile upon his transparent lips and he watched her obviously awaiting her answer. With a sigh, she pulled a still shaking hand through her hair.

"Nothing good ever comes of Slytherin," she quoted, letting her gaze return to that of the Baron's.

"Nonsense," he chuckled darkly, "You only say that because no one has ever tried." Her expression turned to one of puzzlement as the ghost laughed once more starting to float upward and away. "If you think ill of a situation then an ill result is what you will end up with. The choice is yours, madam first year."

Emilia stood to ponder this a little longer before trudging down the rest of the steps to the Slytherin common room. She muttered the password before walking through the wall and making her way to the girl's rooms. Pausing at the entry way, she let her gaze pan around the common room and its eerie greenish glow. She pursed her lips and was about to walk through the door when someone walked through the wall and into the common room.

It was Severus. She almost smiled but then Malfoy followed soon afterward and the desire died. She moved quickly, not sure if Severus had even registered what girl was standing at the entryway to the girls' dorms but not willing to wait and exchange greetings with him.

She still hadn't apologized for blinding him with her power but she also didn't want to bring the likes of Lucius Malfoy into the picture. She was sure he knew, at least partially, what had gone on that night—he was a prefect after all and more or less in charge of keeping an eye on the students in his dorm.

The words of the Bloody Baron returned to her about no one ever trying to bring something good out of Slytherin. 'Well, one thing is for certain,' she thought to herself, 'it won't begin with him.' She shuddered at the very thought of him doing anything remotely good before changing into her pajamas and crawling exhausted into bed.

Monday through Thursday had been harsh. Midterms had come into full swing and Emilia was sure that if Lily hadn't been by her side, she would have completely failed all of her classes. Of course, credit for her good marks in Potions went to Severus who seemed to really have a knack for it. He had helped her study and though he was a strict teacher, if one paid attention, he was a good teacher. He gave her the information she needed and somehow managed to guide her thinking into the right direction so as to come to the correct conclusion.

She still hadn't apologized but from what she could tell, it was as if they had already exchanged words and his help through midterms only proved it in the half-Veela's eyes.

Friday had been given to them as an extra day off and with it being Halloween, the spirits of the castle seemed very high.

Emilia slumped down on the chair in the library with Lily and Severus with as loud a sigh as could be allowed. "I thought those tests were to be the end of me," she moaned looking over at Lily who was laughing warmly.

"You made it though and that is what counts, right?" Lily asked as she thumbed through the book she had just checked out.

"And now there is the week long break," Severus inserted. Emilia's heart twinged a little. She was happy for the break but that also meant that Lily was going back home to spend it with her family. She had thought about going home to spend it with her father but Dumbledore had pulled her aside after dinner one evening to suggest that she learn some of the exercises that were supposed to help her control her powers over the break and, having already explained it to Lewis, even her father encouraged her to take the time and devote it to the special practices. ("Although it hurts me to have to wait to see my little girl until Christmas…" he had written in the same letter.) As far as Lily was concerned, the Muggle-born thought that her dear friend was simply staying behind to get some extra help from Professor Slughorn on her potions.

"What about you, Sev? What are you doing for the break?" Emilia asked suddenly realizing that he hadn't said anything about his plans when they had discussed the subject a couple days before. He cast her a bored look before rolling his eyes with a sigh and standing up.

"I'm staying here, obviously," he said as he walked away from them and out of the library.

Her brown eyes followed his lank form with concern until Lily sighed, poking her in the forehead. "Severus doesn't get along with his family and he feels more at home here than he ever did with them so that is just how it is," the redhead said with a gentle smile. Emilia returned it but only shallowly before giving the door he had walked through one more glance.

"Well it is about dinner time. Shall we go?" Lily asked standing up and giving Emilia a hand up.

"Yeah," Emilia said, caught up in her own thoughts.

* * *

_Casidhe here! Holy smokes… it has been a while. I cannot express how sorry I am but I hope this somewhat makes up for my absence. I will work on another chapter after I post again in the other two of my stories. Oh and if you ever get the feeling you want to read some of my own, non-fanfiction, type writing, look me up on fictionpress under the same name and read Frost Whispers. I haven't posted much of it because I haven't heard many responses to it. Thanks!_

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